Rochdale MP says a change in police culture is needed in sex abuse cases

Simon Danczuk MP

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk and the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police are at loggerheads over the attitude of the police to child victims of sexual grooming with Mr Danczuk calling for a "change in culture" from GMP.

In a debate aired by BBC Radio 4, Mr Danczuk explained a whistle blower had approached him and said victims were not being listened to by the police. The whistle blower said that there had been a breakdown in relations between some victims and the police and that there was a lack of understanding by the police of the victims' situation.

Mr Danczuk  wrote to Chief Constable Peter Fahy to arrange a meeting. Asked by BBC Radio 4 presenter Jenni Murray what the response was from GMP, Mr Danczuk said that when it went public, the response from GMP was aggressive and dismissive towards himself, and the whistle blower's comments were said by the police to be "wide of the mark and potentially damaging". Mr Danczuk says it is constructive criticism that GMP needs to take on board.

Cheif Constable Fahy disagreed saying a serious case review is ongoing, there is an investigation by the Police Complaints Commission and GMP had conducted a comprehensive investigation which to led a number of men being convicted and imprisoned.

Mr Fahy went on to explain that decisions on whether to use witnesses is a difficult one as court proceedings can be very traumatic. He said there is "huge pressure" in sexual abuse cases and "huge dilemmas" in trying to decide if victims should be put into a court room because police and prosecutors have in mind the experience they will go through, including have their past raked over.

Challenged by Ms Murray about the anger and disappointment of former police officer Margaret Oliver at the way victims were treated - she says resigned as a result of this - Chief Constable Fahy said most police officers would be "bemused" as it is in the day to day life of police officers that they deal with victims of crime and try do best for them, gather evidence, present that evidence and the CPS, and in this case a very eminent QC, decided which victims would go to court. Mr Fahy said that can be frustrating but it is part of the separation between investigators and prosecutors - a key part of our system. He explained that working with other agencies such as Social Services and child welfare, the CPS has to ask if it is in the child's best interests to take it forward.

Mr Danczuk said the number of predators successfully prosecuted is a "drop in ocean" compared to the number predators still preying on children. He said GMP is playing catch up as lot of cases were handled very badly some years ago.

There has to be a "change in culture", Mr Danczuk said, "Peter should take on the constructive criticism. It is not just Margaret Oliver saying this, I pointed out four weeks ago another whistle blower came forward raising concerns. People aren't raising concerns to be difficult, they are raising concerns so that a voice is given to victims and so that more predators can be put behind bars."

Mr Danczuk says that GMP has to win the "trust of the public" and also the "trust of the victims".

Chief Constable Fahy said the police are aware of a number girls in Rochdale who they believe have been abused, but these girls don't want to talk to the police because of how will be ruthlessly exploited by the defence in court. He added that a very different way of testing evidence in such cases is needed and explained that the Government is looking at this issue. Officers, he said, can do all they can to produce evidence, but sex abuse cases put huge pressure on victims that is not seen in other types of cases.