Baroness Louise Casey appearing before the Home Affairs Committee (Image: PA)
A sick grooming gang raped a 13-year-old girl and told her it was a “birthday present”, Dame Louise Casey has revealed.
Baroness Casey declared public institutions must overhaul how children are seen and treated by officials.
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
Undo
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
Sadiq Khan's last resort shows exactly how Mayor of London's lost the plot
Key stage in France migrant returns deal set to be hit THIS WEEK - find out how
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
How PM Nigel Farage can reverse 'strategic shrinkage' of Labour and Tories
How Rachel Reeves could stop migrant boats with one tax change
Moment Yvette Cooper's migrant plan utterly destroyed on BBC Breakfast: '26 in, one out!'
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Keir Starmer's migrant crisis one-for-one deal with France comes into force
These shocking things happened as the prison crisis led to 'meltdown'
Rachel Reeves's 'triple whammy' of taxes risks 'punishing' millions
'Labour must act over shocking asylum seeker rape revelations'
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Nigel Farage announces another defection to Reform in latest Tory blow
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Labour is stretching our patience to breaking point - we've been here before
I was in the room for Nigel Farage's announcement - and I noticed one big change
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
Sadiq Khan's last resort shows exactly how Mayor of London's lost the plot
Key stage in France migrant returns deal set to be hit THIS WEEK - find out how
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
How PM Nigel Farage can reverse 'strategic shrinkage' of Labour and Tories
How Rachel Reeves could stop migrant boats with one tax change
Moment Yvette Cooper's migrant plan utterly destroyed on BBC Breakfast: '26 in, one out!'
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Keir Starmer's migrant crisis one-for-one deal with France comes into force
These shocking things happened as the prison crisis led to 'meltdown'
Rachel Reeves's 'triple whammy' of taxes risks 'punishing' millions
'Labour must act over shocking asylum seeker rape revelations'
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Nigel Farage announces another defection to Reform in latest Tory blow
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Labour is stretching our patience to breaking point - we've been here before
I was in the room for Nigel Farage's announcement - and I noticed one big change
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
Sadiq Khan's last resort shows exactly how Mayor of London's lost the plot
Key stage in France migrant returns deal set to be hit THIS WEEK - find out how
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
How PM Nigel Farage can reverse 'strategic shrinkage' of Labour and Tories
How Rachel Reeves could stop migrant boats with one tax change
Moment Yvette Cooper's migrant plan utterly destroyed on BBC Breakfast: '26 in, one out!'
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Keir Starmer's migrant crisis one-for-one deal with France comes into force
These shocking things happened as the prison crisis led to 'meltdown'
Rachel Reeves's 'triple whammy' of taxes risks 'punishing' millions
'Labour must act over shocking asylum seeker rape revelations'
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Nigel Farage announces another defection to Reform in latest Tory blow
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Labour is stretching our patience to breaking point - we've been here before
I was in the room for Nigel Farage's announcement - and I noticed one big change
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Dame Louise confirmed that grooming gangs are still abusing young girls and stressed ministers should take urgent action.
Dame Louise told the Home Affairs Select Committee: “We’ve had, to quote colleagues from the police, we are awash with online harm and online exploitation.
Powered By
00:00/01:19
10 Sec
275.1K
37
GB News panel gets heated over migrant debate
Next
Stay
READ MORE: The key parts of the Casey Review into grooming gangs and a culture of denial
Yvette Cooper apologised on behalf of the Government (Image: Getty)
“We’ve had the growth in county lines and child criminal exploitation, at the same time I don’t think child sexual abuse has gone away.
Sponsored
They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You
Undo
“From the evidence we saw in the audit and the visits we undertook to some police forces, it is clear it is still happening.
“We have to really get a grip of how we treat children.
“This dates back to Rotherham, where I listened to the testimony of a young woman.
“She was a child at the time. She was multiple raped, by multiple men on multiple occasions as a 13th birthday present in the knowledge that her perpetrators said it would not be seen as rape, which she believed.”
But Dame Louise’s report made clear there were many cases like this.
The report found: “We heard about too many cases of child sexual exploitation during our visits to local police forces that highlighted examples of girls between 13 and 16 who: remain under the age of consent and have been raped but who are not automatically seen as victims of rape.
“These issues seemed to cloud decisions about pursuing prosecutions and many of the agencies we spoke to felt this was an issue that required clarification.
“We were told of one case involving a 15-year-old vulnerable child who had been sexually exploited by an older man who had used the ‘boyfriend model’ to groom her.
“Their relationship was well known to local services and the police who tried to disrupt it, but she was insistent she was in love with the older man and did not want to leave him or support a prosecution.
“Despite having substantial evidence that they were having sex, including images on both of their phones and hotel room bookings, the fact she was ‘in love’ with him, said she had consented and would not support the prosecution led to the case not making it to court.”
Dame Louise Casey’s report warned of the “adultification” of girls sexually abused by mainly Pakistani and Asian grooming gangs.
This say vulnerable girls treated as though they were adults.
Rape prosecutions on 13 to 15 year-old girls were dropped because “children of this age are more likely to be viewed as ‘adults’ capable of giving consent.”
Trending
It added: “For those fortunate enough to grow up in a loving and stable family environment, adolescence is an often painful process of negotiation with parents; children pushing the boundaries and seeking greater responsibility over decision making while parents resist, continuing to see them as the children who require safety and protection at all times.
“Many parents track their children on their phones, so they know the precise whereabouts of their children every minute of the day.
“However, many of the children affected by child sexual exploitation have not always been afforded the status of a child that is available to someone from a stable supportive home environment.
“Being in care almost fast-tracks children into adulthood – living in residential settings, or ‘semi-independent housing’ long before a child whose family is able to take care of them would do so.
“Sometimes the services who are there to protect these children, often mistake them for adults, as does wider society.
“It is important to recognise that they are still children, however they behave or present themselves: they cannot make choices for themselves or consent to their abuse. When this is forgotten, children, and particularly in this case adolescent children, are made ever more vulnerable.”
Baroness Casey told the Commons' Home Affairs Committee the national inquiry should last three years.
She said: "So I think in anything that we might have said so far, we've suggested three years, certainly initially, but certainly, I think you should be thinking getting the national and local bit done within three years.
"It's partly why we're looking for flexibility about the inquiry model, and looking perhaps a team effort rather than a single individual running hearings.
"We're of the view this is achievable, I just think we need some creative thinking from colleagues in the civil service to help make it happen."
She also urged for local areas to "think carefully" about not being open to scrutiny and to change.
The crossbench peer told MPs she understands other than Oldham "nobody came forward" to take part in five local inquiries announced in January.
Asked how she would like to hold the Government to account on her recommendations in six months' time, Baroness Casey said she did not think it was an "unreasonable thing" to be held to account on what action has been taken on all 12 points.
"We did 12 knowing that we wanted some big, big shifts," she said.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
How Rachel Reeves could stop migrant boats with one tax change
Moment Yvette Cooper's migrant plan utterly destroyed on BBC Breakfast: '26 in, one out!'
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Keir Starmer's migrant crisis one-for-one deal with France comes into force
These shocking things happened as the prison crisis led to 'meltdown'
Rachel Reeves's 'triple whammy' of taxes risks 'punishing' millions
'Labour must act over shocking asylum seeker rape revelations'
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Nigel Farage announces another defection to Reform in latest Tory blow
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Labour is stretching our patience to breaking point - we've been here before
I was in the room for Nigel Farage's announcement - and I noticed one big change
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
This Tiny House Is Only 290 sq. ft., But Wait Till You Step Inside!BuzzFond |
Undo
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
Sadiq Khan's last resort shows exactly how Mayor of London's lost the plot
Learn More
Undo
Key stage in France migrant returns deal set to be hit THIS WEEK - find out how
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
Wildlife Cameras Capture What No One Should SeeOhi Blog |
Undo
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
How PM Nigel Farage can reverse 'strategic shrinkage' of Labour and Tories
Looking 10 years older from thinning hair! This Watsons find works wonders!Hair’s Rich |
Learn More
Undo
How Rachel Reeves could stop migrant boats with one tax change
Moment Yvette Cooper's migrant plan utterly destroyed on BBC Breakfast: '26 in, one out!'
One of the world’s top 5 refinery export hubsJTC |
Learn More
Undo
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
This Couple Built A 19-Sq-Ft Home for $5K! Wait Until You See Inside!TheDecorIdeas |
Undo
Keir Starmer's migrant crisis one-for-one deal with France comes into force
These shocking things happened as the prison crisis led to 'meltdown'
Paul Gascoigne's Actual House Left Us With No Words - Take A LookOne Daily |
Undo
Rachel Reeves's 'triple whammy' of taxes risks 'punishing' millions
'Labour must act over shocking asylum seeker rape revelations'
Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the WorldTopgentlemen.com |
Undo
Labour proves Keir Starmer is busted flush with move showing it can get even worse
Nigel Farage announces another defection to Reform in latest Tory blow
Access all TV channels anywhere, anytimeTechno Mag |
Learn More
Undo
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Labour is stretching our patience to breaking point - we've been here before
No more thinning hair! This bestseller at Watsons works even in 40s-60sHair’s Rich |
Learn More
Undo
I was in the room for Nigel Farage's announcement - and I noticed one big change
Deluded Keir Starmer shows how wrong Labour's priorities are with one new scheme
Nigel Farage issues 8-word statement after Reform trans row erupts
Sadiq Khan's last resort shows exactly how Mayor of London's lost the plot
Key stage in France migrant returns deal set to be hit THIS WEEK - find out how
New poll reveals exactly what Brits think of migration - it's bad news for Keir Starmer
New poll reveals Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are now less popular than Donald Trump
How PM Nigel Farage can reverse 'strategic shrinkage' of Labour and Tories
How Rachel Reeves could stop migrant boats with one tax change
Moment Yvette Cooper's migrant plan utterly destroyed on BBC Breakfast: '26 in, one out!'
POLL: Will Keir Starmer's ‘one in, one out' deal stop the boats?
Angela Rayner told 'there's still time' to reject Chinese Super Embassy in London
Keir Starmer's migrant crisis one-for-one deal with France comes into force
These shocking things happened as the prison crisis led to 'meltdown'
Rachel Reeves's 'triple whammy' of taxes risks 'punishing' millions
Singapore: Meal Delivery for Seniors - Prices May Surprise YouMeal Delivery | Search Ads
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Woman sells ring given by ex, then jeweler tells her 'This can't be true'Daily Sport X
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
"I hope this is a line in the sand, and I think the 12 things that we're asking for are not impossible.
"They're not pipe dreams, they're achievable."
On the national inquiry and national criminal investigation, Baroness Casey added: "I listened to what the Home Secretary said in Parliament yesterday, I would like to see quite a significant uplift in the prosecutions, the action, the criminal investigations on child sexual exploitation, both historic and current."
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy