Yorkshire Post Headline from Friday.
THE mothers of 33 schoolgirls claim their daughters are being raped, abused and prostituted by men seeking sex on the streets of a West Yorkshire town.
THE mothers of 33 schoolgirls claim their daughters are being raped, abused and prostituted by men seeking sex on the streets of a West Yorkshire town.
Police probe 'sex ring' who preyed on 30 girls
THE mothers of 33 schoolgirls claim their daughters are being raped, abused and prostituted by men seeking sex on the streets of a West Yorkshire town.
The allegations are even more explosive because in all cases the girls are white and the men Asian.
The investigation centres on Keighley, where 16 per cent of the 70,000 population is Asian.
Local MP Ann Cryer labelled the men "an organised sex ring" and also said their cultural background of arranged marriages was the key to understanding the problem.
But last night police and community leaders discounted race as an issue.
And a social services spokeswoman said: "If this was white men or black girls that is not the issue for us here. This is a child protection issue that we are all working together to tackle."
After an 18-month police investigation only one case of alleged sex assault is before the courts, leaving the mothers demanding urgent changes in the law to protect their children.
The girls often do not see any problems with their relationships with the men. And if the girls are 13 or over the police cannot
initiate criminal proceedings without a formal complaint.
The mothers are so concerned they have united to form a support group and have already met with Home Secretary David Blunkett to discuss the issue.
The horrific crimes include the alleged gang rape of girls who have been seduced with presents and flattery and then drugged and brutally assaulted.
But many of the girls are afraid to give evidence or refuse to as they still believe themselves "in love". The girls typically see the men as their "boyfriends" – but the relationship is open to abuse.
Mothers have told the Yorkshire Post that on one occasion a 14-year-old girl had to be admitted to Airedale General Hospital after she was raped by several men.
They say other girls have also been persuaded to leave their homes and work as prostitutes to earn money for their "boyfriends".
Some who have returned to their families have been intimidated. When police were spotted entering the home of one of the victims she received a phone call saying the house would be torched if she spoke to them.
One mother told Channel Four News what had happened to her daughter. "Her and her friend were taken to a flat, the flat door locked, sat down drinking, the drink was spiced with GHB.
"My daughter was taken by all four men in turn. Her whole body was shaking and she couldn't stop shaking from the effects of the drugs that she were given.
"My daughter said 'You know what will happen mum, if we go to the police, you know what will happen'."
The revelations have already triggered fierce argument as to whether it is a race issue.
Some politicians are reluctant to cause further divisions in the town while there are claims the abuse stems from cultural problems in the Asian community.
No one from West Yorkshire Police or Bradford Council was willing to be interviewed on the incendiary issue but a joint statement said they first received reports of abuse 18 months ago and began interviewing the teenagers.
"Although some of the young women admitted having relationships with older men they described them as their boyfriends and did not feel they were being exploited," it said.
"There was one allegation of serious sexual assault which was pursued by police and the matter is due to come to court.
"More concerns have since been expressed by parents. We are again investigating these and will take appropriate action if we find any evidence of abuse.
"This is a child protection issue and the well-being and safety of the young women in question have been treated with the utmost priority.
"However, we must stress that the police need evidence of abuse or other criminal activity before they can take action."
They said they were offering support to the young women to help them realise they were victims of exploitation, but stressed they saw it as a child protection issue, not a race issue.
Meanwhile the mothers of many of the girls have formed a support group to help each other, and are calling for a change in the law to allow their evidence to be taken into account.
Without formal complaints from the girls, the police have not even been able to arrest and interview many of the abusers. The women met David Blunkett last month at an event in Leeds organised by the group the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping, and told him they wanted their "hearsay evidence" to be admissible in court.
Ann Cryer said: "If their children fail to attend school, the mothers are prosecuted. Why, therefore, are they prevented from taking a complaint to the police when they know that their children are being harmed? The girls need to be protected.
"Whilst the girls are unable to differentiate love from abuse, the men are more than able to do so. They are committing crimes that are tantamount to paedophilia."
Mrs Cryer said she knew she would be accused of demonising the Asian community but it was a problem caused by a clash of cultures.
She said the men were typically promised to brides from abroad. They were not allowed to have girlfriends from their own community, and older white women would recognise that the relationship was unlikely to lead anywhere.
"The man... is largely only able to have one with the most vulnerable of girls," she said.
"I am calling on the Asian community to work with me to address these very serious issues so that we may find a solution together."
But Bradford councillor Andy Mudd, who represents Keighley West where much of the abuse has happened, said labelling it a race issue was dangerous and irresponsible.
He said: "I hope that no one would seek to exploit child protection issues in that way.
"It would be a sweeping stereotype to make. If you said things about Asian men, what might be said about the white girls? I would not want to stereotype either side.
"I'm sure the Asian community will be as concerned for the welfare of these young women as anybody else."
Ayub Laher, general secretary of the Bradford Council of Mosques, said it involved a tiny minority of Asian youth who had "picked up the exc-esses of the yob culture. Like white lads, they have discarded religion and respect.
"It is copycattism because they see white and black lads acting that way and they also want to do it."
A Home Office spokesman insisted that Mr Blunkett had not had a formal meeting with the women but said their concerns were already being addressed through new legislation. The new Criminal Justice Bill would make hear-say evidence more readily admissible in court. He also denied it was a race issue.
amy.binns@ypn.co.uk
THE mothers of 33 schoolgirls claim their daughters are being raped, abused and prostituted by men seeking sex on the streets of a West Yorkshire town.
The allegations are even more explosive because in all cases the girls are white and the men Asian.
The investigation centres on Keighley, where 16 per cent of the 70,000 population is Asian.
Local MP Ann Cryer labelled the men "an organised sex ring" and also said their cultural background of arranged marriages was the key to understanding the problem.
But last night police and community leaders discounted race as an issue.
And a social services spokeswoman said: "If this was white men or black girls that is not the issue for us here. This is a child protection issue that we are all working together to tackle."
After an 18-month police investigation only one case of alleged sex assault is before the courts, leaving the mothers demanding urgent changes in the law to protect their children.
The girls often do not see any problems with their relationships with the men. And if the girls are 13 or over the police cannot
initiate criminal proceedings without a formal complaint.
The mothers are so concerned they have united to form a support group and have already met with Home Secretary David Blunkett to discuss the issue.
The horrific crimes include the alleged gang rape of girls who have been seduced with presents and flattery and then drugged and brutally assaulted.
But many of the girls are afraid to give evidence or refuse to as they still believe themselves "in love". The girls typically see the men as their "boyfriends" – but the relationship is open to abuse.
Mothers have told the Yorkshire Post that on one occasion a 14-year-old girl had to be admitted to Airedale General Hospital after she was raped by several men.
They say other girls have also been persuaded to leave their homes and work as prostitutes to earn money for their "boyfriends".
Some who have returned to their families have been intimidated. When police were spotted entering the home of one of the victims she received a phone call saying the house would be torched if she spoke to them.
One mother told Channel Four News what had happened to her daughter. "Her and her friend were taken to a flat, the flat door locked, sat down drinking, the drink was spiced with GHB.
"My daughter was taken by all four men in turn. Her whole body was shaking and she couldn't stop shaking from the effects of the drugs that she were given.
"My daughter said 'You know what will happen mum, if we go to the police, you know what will happen'."
The revelations have already triggered fierce argument as to whether it is a race issue.
Some politicians are reluctant to cause further divisions in the town while there are claims the abuse stems from cultural problems in the Asian community.
No one from West Yorkshire Police or Bradford Council was willing to be interviewed on the incendiary issue but a joint statement said they first received reports of abuse 18 months ago and began interviewing the teenagers.
"Although some of the young women admitted having relationships with older men they described them as their boyfriends and did not feel they were being exploited," it said.
"There was one allegation of serious sexual assault which was pursued by police and the matter is due to come to court.
"More concerns have since been expressed by parents. We are again investigating these and will take appropriate action if we find any evidence of abuse.
"This is a child protection issue and the well-being and safety of the young women in question have been treated with the utmost priority.
"However, we must stress that the police need evidence of abuse or other criminal activity before they can take action."
They said they were offering support to the young women to help them realise they were victims of exploitation, but stressed they saw it as a child protection issue, not a race issue.
Meanwhile the mothers of many of the girls have formed a support group to help each other, and are calling for a change in the law to allow their evidence to be taken into account.
Without formal complaints from the girls, the police have not even been able to arrest and interview many of the abusers. The women met David Blunkett last month at an event in Leeds organised by the group the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping, and told him they wanted their "hearsay evidence" to be admissible in court.
Ann Cryer said: "If their children fail to attend school, the mothers are prosecuted. Why, therefore, are they prevented from taking a complaint to the police when they know that their children are being harmed? The girls need to be protected.
"Whilst the girls are unable to differentiate love from abuse, the men are more than able to do so. They are committing crimes that are tantamount to paedophilia."
Mrs Cryer said she knew she would be accused of demonising the Asian community but it was a problem caused by a clash of cultures.
She said the men were typically promised to brides from abroad. They were not allowed to have girlfriends from their own community, and older white women would recognise that the relationship was unlikely to lead anywhere.
"The man... is largely only able to have one with the most vulnerable of girls," she said.
"I am calling on the Asian community to work with me to address these very serious issues so that we may find a solution together."
But Bradford councillor Andy Mudd, who represents Keighley West where much of the abuse has happened, said labelling it a race issue was dangerous and irresponsible.
He said: "I hope that no one would seek to exploit child protection issues in that way.
"It would be a sweeping stereotype to make. If you said things about Asian men, what might be said about the white girls? I would not want to stereotype either side.
"I'm sure the Asian community will be as concerned for the welfare of these young women as anybody else."
Ayub Laher, general secretary of the Bradford Council of Mosques, said it involved a tiny minority of Asian youth who had "picked up the exc-esses of the yob culture. Like white lads, they have discarded religion and respect.
"It is copycattism because they see white and black lads acting that way and they also want to do it."
A Home Office spokesman insisted that Mr Blunkett had not had a formal meeting with the women but said their concerns were already being addressed through new legislation. The new Criminal Justice Bill would make hear-say evidence more readily admissible in court. He also denied it was a race issue.
amy.binns@ypn.co.uk 
