Seven men have been found guilty of grooming and abusing five girls in Rotherham over the course of seven years.

These was the latest convictions from Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency’s biggest investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. It followed the independent report by Professor Alexis Jay that found nearly 1,400 girls between the ages of 11 and 15 have been sexually abused dating from 1997 to 2013.

The seven men were convicted of various sex crimes, including rape and sexual assault of the young girls. The men emotionally manipulated the victims by gaining the vulnerable girls’ trust and threatening them. They lured them in through the idea of being friends with older youths. One of the men would visit his victim after he finished work every day to build a sense of trust. However, they would then be passed around and abused by a ring.

In some instances the men provided cannabis and drugged the girls before abusing them. One girl, aged just 14, became pregnant and was forced to have an abortion after being raped by three men in Sherwood Forest. Another girl was sexually abused by at least 100 Asian men before she turned 16.

Head of Switalskis’s Child Abuse Department David Greenwood worked on the cases. David comments:

“It is satisfying that the court has decided these men deserve lengthy prison sentences. Their victims’ lives have been blighted by their offending. It is interesting to compare the bravery of the young women in court having to be subjected to heavy cross examination when the cowardly perpetrators chose not to answer questions.

“The National Crime Agency are working carefully through evidence of offending in the Rotherham area and are catching up with offenders. Anyone considering reporting to the police can be assured of being supported and protected”.

You can get free confidential advice from David Greenwood or a female member of his team by calling 01924 882000 or by e-mail at david.greenwood@switalskis.com