Simon Danczuk MP welcomes charging of men over child abuse in Rochdale

Simon Danczuk MP

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk has welcomed the news that ten men will face charges over their alleged involvement in child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.

The men have been charged with a string of offences relating to crimes which occurred between 2005 and 2013 and involved victims as young as 13 years old.

Speaking in response to the news, Rochdale’s MP Simon Danczuk said: “I welcome today’s news that more alleged perpetrators of child abuse are being brought to justice. I have spoken to the Director of Children’s Services at Rochdale Council earlier today and have been fully briefed on the developments.

Throughout my campaign on child abuse, the key aim has always been to protect children by bringing abusers to justice and getting them off the streets.

There have been some who have urged me not to campaign on grooming, but I believe that this news shows what can be achieved by keeping up pressure and pushing for change.

I have been critical of child protection agencies, and especially Greater Manchester Police, in the past regarding their handling of these cases. But credit where credit is due, these arrests demonstrate the progress that has been made.

This really is policing at its best, and a great example of different agencies working together. I know that the Sunrise team has done excellent work in steadily building the confidence of survivors of abuse and this news is credit to the hard work they have put in to gaining this trust.

We have seen in recent months that Rochdale is far from the only town in the country to have experienced this type of abuse. The difference in Rochdale is that we now have much better systems in place for protecting children and all agencies are working together to catch the perpetrators.

Finally, it should be recognised that these arrests could not have happened without the incredibly brave actions of survivors of abuse. I know from personal experience just how difficult it is for survivors to speak out about their abuse. So I want to pay tribute to the young women who have suffered this abuse and have worked with police to bring their abusers to justice.”

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/94488/ten-men-charged-with-sexual-exploitation