It’s now over week ago since the publication of the serious case review into the death of Laura Wilson, the report made reference to the issue of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
It was noticeable that the leader, deputy leader and chief executive of RMBC failed to field any questions from the media, a clear and gross dereliction of their duty.
Their continued denial and condemnation of the issue here in Rotherham from whatever section of the community is totally unacceptable.
However, all is not lost, the deputy leader via his Twitter page this week draws attention to other cases of paedophilia outside of the borough, a pity he hasn’t been so vocal regarding other incidents here in Rotherham, I am not sure what he is actually trying to achieve. probably community cohesion.
We also have silence from each and every Elected Member, in particular why the silence from Councillors: Hoddinott, Astbury, Ahmed, Dalton, Andrews, Donaldson, Ellis, Beaumont, Clark, Burton, Godfrey, Falvey, Hamilton, Johnston, Lelliott, Pitchley, Russel(x2), McNeely, Whysall, Havenhand, Sims and Rushforth?
From where I am sitting your denial plus silence equals culpability in providing the perpetrators with a green light to continue their evil ways.
A tragic day for our children and a tragic day for Rotherham when our civic and community leaders will not defend our town.
Cerberus
Rotherham Politics 
Oh yes I have!!!!!
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It has got a lot “pantomimey”, an da full 6 months before the season starts, but I am game
“Oh no you haven’t!”.
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Well then Jahangir come on, arrange the multi community press conference and set out what you are going to do about the issue, no matter where it originates.
We are all still waiting, just what will it take to spur you all into action?
The leader and chief executive have left you all out to dry on this one.
Pleased to see that Kieth Vaz has woken up to the enormity of the problem.
Action speaks louder than words!
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Standard stuff from RMBC then – take the dosh, revel in the junketing, keep your head down and sod the rest.
As for the Depity Leedah’s referral of paedophilia in other areas – this is just infantile deflection “Sir, Sir, he’s a bigger liar than I am; Sir, Sir, mine was just a little fib Sir”
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I think if councillors could be ‘sacked’, or whatever they call it, they’d all be singing like canaries! The complete silence from SOME councillors is a huge betrayal to the people of Rotherham, time to knock them off their perch and elect independent candidates who care about community not career ladder!
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Dear Brother Omar, the only RMBC Councillor with the courage, honesty and integrity to make public statements on here about this wicked episode is Cllr Jahangir Akhtar.
He rightly says that this is not an issue of ethnicity, but of sheer criminality, and with that I’m in total agreement with him.
My own personal knowledge of the Rotherham Pakistani Muslim community, and with Islam, is that of very hard-working, loyal, extremely friendly and peaceful, incredibily religious community members who work very very hard to make Rotherham into the active, vibrant, multi-cultural place that it is,
The exposed criminality has nothing to do with any religion, and least of all with the beauty and peace of Islam.
Everyone is being so badly let-down, and Cllr Jahangir Akhtar, in particular, by the conspicuous and massive public failure of da overpaid Leedah and Town Clerk (Chief Executive) to convene a media conference and publically condemn the criminal activities that have been exposed and to reassure parents across Rotherham, from whatever community, that their children will be safe in this Borough on their watch, and to offer them guidance on how to spot the tell-tales signs of grooming and sexual exploitation among their children..
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I agree with your comments, I think the media seem to pin-point and label it more when there are Muslims involved. I think, irrespective of their religion, they need to be taken off our streets and the sooner the better.
Also, I agree that the so-called Leader of the council has left Jahangir to carry the buck and the fact that he gets away with it is scandalous.
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A very good article by Myriam Francoise- Cerrah that’s well worth reading.
http://jahangirakhtar.org/2012/05/16/excellent-article-on-recent-grooming-case/
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Jahangir, yes a very good article here by Myriam F-C, but extremely blinkered and that is the problem with this whole affair. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the actions of the Asian men in this terrible case were racist and motivated by their interpretation of Islam. They viewed this girl as an infedel who is a non-believer of Islam and as such could be treated in what every way they wanted as this would not offend their religion. What I believe was quietly brushed to one side during the trial of the 2 men involved was the comment made by the mother of one of them who was recorded during the evidence given, as referring to the victim as a “Dirty white bitch”. Why was she not prosecuted?
Also, it was her son who was having sex with the girl but no criticism of him by the mother. Why, because she believed that this was acceptable in her type of culture.
This problem will not go away until it is addressed by the Islamic community themselves, the decent Muslims who surely do not support this kind of activity. Society in general will not deal with it, as Political Correctness will not allow them to offend a minority group and speek the truth. Therefore I believe it is the responsibility of people like yourself, Jahnagir, who have a position of standing and responsibility in the community as a whole in this Country, to stand up, condemn this whole misinterpretation of the Islamic religion and ostracize those who practice it.
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What a massive disappointment Jahangir, I clicked onto the link expecting to read about your ten point plan to address the grooming and exploitation of all children here in Rotherham, instead an article from a career academic hoping to get her PhD.
I thought that you were a man and different from the leader and chief executive, how wrong could I have been, instead of researching what your colleagues are doing in Derby, Rochdale etc to protect their community and children, you spend your time looking for academic excuses not to do anything, you are just like the leader and chief executive.
You should be using a Labour Party website to protect children, instead its being used to peddle excuses, shame on you.
Think of this Jahangir, every day that you fail to take robust action vulnerable children are being identified and targeted by these criminal perpetrators, RMBC has made Rotherham a fertile ground for their behaviour, you have the means to stop it.
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@Jim – I am sorry but you are way off the mark about the tragic case of Laura. This was a case of an evil act committed by a callous individual against an innocent young girl. The fact that the murderer happened to be a Muslim is inconsequential.
I have talked at great length with police officers who were involved in the enquiry and they confirm that it was a tragic case but race or religion did not play a part in the heinous act.
But I suspect this is not going to satisfy you Jim but since you mentioned my name, I thought I would at least attempt to correct your conclusions.
For the umpteenth time I will put on record that I utterly condemn anyone who seeks to harm our kids irrespective of race, colour, creed or religion.
The Rotherham Police are fully aware of my full support in they’re efforts to identify and prosecute anyone involved.
I can only speak about Rotherham but here the police and Council would never not act in fear of any ethnic or cultural sensibilities. God forbid if that ever was the case I would immediately make a public statement denouncing the practice because it would go against everything that I hold dear and would be a dereliction of our duty to protect our citizens.
I know you are a man of honour and hope you accept and believe what I have said.
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Jahangir, I’m glad you responded. If it was nothing to do with race or religion, then why did the mother of one of the defendants say such a derogatory thing as calling the poor victim a “dirty WHITE bitch”? This term would appear to be well used and common in their household. The police would obviously support your view as I said before, Political Correctness will not allow them to offend a minority group and speek the truth.
That to one side, Why are you not going national and publicly denouncing the convicted man as not being of your culture as you see it. As you well know, the silence has been deafening from RMBC, of which you are part, and in fact they have, so far covered up completely the results of the enquiry into this terrible affair by trying to hide it from the press. We have heard nothing in the Rotherham Advertiser therefore they have obviously not been privy to the results.
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@ Jim I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. But this statement by you ” Why are you not going national and publicly denouncing the convicted man as not being of your culture as you see it” is so blinkered and narrow-minded for someone I believed was very worldly and measured. That statement alone tells me I am never going to convince you that I didn’t get elected because of where my parents were born or the religion that I choose to practice as you have a set view of Muslim people. The fact that you believe my culture is different than yours is a statement in it self. I have nothing more to say to you Mr Fletcher.
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Jim, while I agree with your argument, I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to be questioning the integrity of the police by insinuating that they won’t speak the truth against Muslims or Pakistanis. While it may be ‘relevant’ to the case that the mother has bigoted views, the fact that he is a Muslim seems to be highlighted and reinforced- would there be so many mentions to HIS religious views if he was atheist???
I agree that this should be addressed nationally, but it should be the job of that oaf of a leader (Stone) or the MP who is paid over 65k a year!
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Omar, I am not questioning the integrity of the police in any way whatsoever. Having spent over 30 years being gagged as a police officer and unable to say what I truly felt and knew to be fact, I know exactly what I am talking about. Only a few years ago, a Metropoitan Police Commissioner was accused of being racist because he stated that the majority of street crime in London was committed by black individuals, even though it was proved to be a statistical fact. I believe that today police officers are still gagged, particularly when it comes to racial issues and not offending ethnic minorities.
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Dear Jim, whilst accepting without reservation your integrity, honesty, bravery and community service as a police officer (retired), I just can’t let your comment re: the Metropolitan Police go unchallenged.
I do not recall that poor Stephen Lawrence, found lying bleeding to death on a main London public highway, got anything like decent, honest, humane and appropriate treatment from the police officers whose duty it was that night to protect and serve. There was clear dereliction of duty on their part that night.
However, the wicked, callous and inhumane 7/7 outrages were investigated vigorously without fear or favour, regardless of whatever sector of our cosmopolitan community spawned them. No-one failed in their efforts to investigate and bring to justice those criminals.
So there we have it, one Police Force, the Met, and two quite different responses to the need to protect and serve all our communities.
The failure which we should all be focussing on is that clear, lamentable and shameful failure of Da Dodger and Town Clerk to convene a media conference to explain what went wrong, how they intend to put it right, and how they will inform and educate parents to spot the tell-tale signs of sexual grooming and exploitation of their children.
The only person to unequivocally state his revulsion to the particular case in question is Cllr Jahangir Akhtar. Not one of Laybah’s female Councillors has said or done anything tangible or public to support him and condemn those who prey on the Borough’s young children.
Shame on them all.
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Sorry Graldhunter, I think you are wrong to suggest Stephen Lawrence did not get appropriate, decent, honest and humane treatment from the Met police. There were failings in the investigation, as there are in many police enquiries but don’t forget, the most exact science in the world is the science of hindsight and it is easy to criticise after the event. I am far from saying they did a good job though, because they didn’t.
However, the main reason the first prosecution failed was not because of the poor investigation but mainly because both Mr and Mrs Lawrence, having been kept fully informed of the way the investigation was going on a daily basis, passed on that information to the press to the detriment of the investigation. This released to much information into the public domain for the defendants to receive a fair trial or for there to be a successful prosecution.
There were attempts by the Met to publicise these facts but it was supressed by the police hierarchy as they would have been accused of being racist, they were anyway which was inevitable.
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Dear Jim, maybe I didn’t write clearly enough what it was about the Met’s failure to perform in the discharge of their legal duty towards Stephen Lawrence.
It is a well-documented fact in the public domain that not one of those initial officers on the scene knelt down and tried to establish the nature of Stephen’s injuries, they didn’t try to stem the flow of blood from his injuries, they didn’t try to ensure that he had a clear and open airway by maintaining head-tilt-chin-lift, they didn’t put him in the recovery position, and most important of all they didn’t perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. They let a young man bleed out on the pavement.
If they had done any or all of the above basic clinical battlefield interventions they may have prevented Stephen’s undignified, painful and frightening death on a main road in the Metropolis.
In my book the officers’ inaction, lack of compassion and downright unwillingness to exhibit any humanity towards that young dying boy does not amount to a reasonable discharge of their public and civic duty.
You may believe otherwise, and you are of course entitled to interpret the facts as you see fit.
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I wasn’t intending to comment publicly this early in my political position but since my name has been mentioned along with the other women Cllrs I feel I need to make my position clear.
As a mother myself I am horrified at some of the cases in the media and also the recent case of child exploitation in Rotherham.
As someone who has worked with children and families for the last 15 years I know only too well the devastating effects of sexual exploitation especially against children.
I am on the Improving Lives Overview and Scrutiny Select Commission
and although I am a new member I will be making absolutely sure that we are doing everything possible to protect our children and that we are not only implementing all the recommendations of the serious case review as stated by senior officers and we look even deeper in to our processes and protocols to ensure we have systems in place that would flag up any potential risks and then ensure appropriate and robust action is taken to make the potential victims safe and at the same time prosecute the offenders.
Also I will be wanting to satisfy myself that our assessment process via family common assessment framework is robust and we have the necessary systems in place for the early assessment processes to flag up and identify any need for early interventions of support for young people and families as a preventative measure thus ensuring the family have the right package of support available, with on going assessments taking into consideration differing needs at different times.
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Rothpol is grateful for your unequivocal and forthright statement of view.
It is very much hoped you will not be the last!
Roger Stone and Martin Kimber have badly misjudged this issue, their silence unfortunately speaks volumes!
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Dear Cllr Shabana Ahmed,
Asalaam Alaikum. Thank you, bahot shukria, for your personal contribution to this debate. I am certain that your life’s experience as a mother, a professional who has dealt with families and children, and lately your newly elected political position as an RMBC Councillor, do give you a depth of insight into the scale of this wicked problem.
But, and there’s always a but, the ability of backbench Councillors like you to lever pressure and exert influence into changing the systems and protocols which allowed this sorry sick saga to manifest itself in our Borough is almost non-existent due to the continued lack of any public strategic leadership, guidance or advice from those two highly-paid “leaders” Da Dodger and the Town Clerk.
I don’t doubt your courage, integrity and honesty on this issue for a second, but now you have joined Cllr Jahangir Akhtar in publically making your position clear, you are still only a group of two!
Where are the other female Labour Councillors on this issue.? SILENCE
Where is Da Dodger and the Town Clerk on this issue? SILENCE
Evil continues to prosper while good men and women do nothing. THINK ABOUT IT.
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