There will be "no hiding place" for people who have exploited young people in Bradford – according to the district council leader.
Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe made the claim after hearing that there were currently 14 live investigations into historic sexual abuse underway in the District.
And 37 people are currently awaiting trial having been charged with historic abuse.
Members of the Council’s Executive were given an update on the work done by Bradford District Safeguarding Children Partnership at a meeting on Tuesday.
Speaking at the meeting were representatives from West Yorkshire Police and children’s charity Barnardo’s.
The meeting heard of the work being done by Operation Dalesway – a specialist police team set up to investigate historic sex abuse claims. Some of these involve cases dating back over a decade.
In the past year eight people investigated through Operation Dalesway have been handed prison sentences totalling 90 years.
Cllr Hinchliffe said: “It is important that perpetrators know they will be prosecuted, no matter how far back the crimes were committed.
“They will be hunted down.
“There is no hiding place for people who exploit vulnerable children and adults in our District.”
The report said while there were still new cases being investigated – they appeared to be smaller scale than some cases that recently made it to court – with fewer defendents linked to each case.
The report to members said: “Police do not see a significant new wave of reports, but as the threat has evolved and changed over time, the emergence of new demand cannot be ruled out.”
Superintendent Richard Padwell, of Bradford District Police, attended the meeting and told members child safeguarding was an issue that was now a top priority for police.
He said: “I joined police 25 years ago, and safeguarding wasn’t something that was talked about that widely then.
“The safeguarding team was on one table in the corner of an office.
“Now the safeguarding team is on an entire floor of a station. We have teams of officers going to schools.
“There has been a sea change in how we look at the issue in recent years.”
Referring to a section of the report that revealed there were 312 “at risk” children in Bradford currently identified by the partnership, he said: “Unfortunately there will be other children that we haven’t been made aware of.
“For a lot of young people the risk is at home – the risk comes from people within their own family.”
Calls for 'Rotherham-style' inquiry
Keighley MP Robbie Moore and Shipley MP Philip Davies have called the Bradford Council leader to support their demand for a full ‘Rotherham-style’ inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation across the district in order for her to deliver on her claim that there will be no hiding place for abusers.
Mr Moore said: “I have repeatedly called on the Leadership team at Bradford Council to instigate a full ‘Rotherham Style’ Inquiry into child sexual exploitation across the Bradford District. This needs to happen so that we can properly understand the scale and complexities of these horrific crimes which continue to haunt our communities, but also to hold those organisations to account who have failed the most vulnerable in society for far too long.
"The very fact the Leader of Bradford Council still refuses to instigate such an inquiry speaks volumes. I find it entirely hypocritical that Councillor Hinchcliffe says she wants to be ‘tough’ on abusers but yet has blocked at every step an inquiry from being held.
"Victims and their families deserve nothing else but openness and true accountability. Councillor Hinchliffe will not pull the wool over my eyes with her empty statements.”
Mr Davies said: “These are nothing more than hollow words. The actions of Councillor Hinchcliffe are in complete contradiction to her words. If she really wanted to crack down on the abhorrent behaviours, why is she so against a Rotherham style inquiry into Bradford Council. What is there to hide?
“The victims deserve justice and they deserve transparency. Cliches such as 'lessons will be learnt' are not good enough. These people were failed by those who should have been protecting them and we all have a duty to ensure it never happens again.
“I have been clear in my support for a Rotherham style inquiry and will continue to support any action that ensures no child, young person or vulnerable adult is subject to these heinous crimes. I am absolutely disgusted that the Council would block any such thorough inquiry into previous cases of child sexual exploitation.”
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