CSE survivor says she can now live her life following sentencing of seven men

A survivor of child sexual exploitation has said she can now “live my life” and knows “my voice matters because I was believed” as she urged other victims to come forward if they feel ready, after seven men were sentenced for their wicked crimes today.

The victim was one of two girls abused by some of the seven men given prison sentences totalling 174 years after being found guilty of 50 child sex offences in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006. 

Both survivors – now women – gave powerful statements in court about the devasting impact of the abuse they suffered. They have been supported throughout the investigation by officers and specialists in the St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester. 

Abused by three of the men as a teenager, ‘girl B’ wrote a victim impact statement that spoke of her lack of faith in the police before the specialist Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigations Team (CSE MIT) approached her in 2021. 

She told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court: “Meeting someone who believed and understood everything meant I could trust for the first time. It is important to know that the team who have worked on my case have been amazing. 

“I want these victims to know that if they feel ready to deal with what happened to them they shouldn’t wait, they should go to the CSE team because they will do a good job. It doesn’t matter how much time has gone by it is still possible to get justice.” 

The second survivor approached the police in 2015, prompting Operation Lytton, which has so far seen 12 men convicted of 72 offences. Twenty more men are due to stand accused in trials over the coming months. 

‘Girl A’ told the court: “I knew I had to be brave and continue to tell my story of my abuse for myself to get justice and for the next generation. I have female family members and I want to protect them from the damage that has been caused to me. 

"My childhood was taken away from me by these men, I should have been out with friends, playing in parks and being innocent hanging around on the streets. Enjoying my childhood and creating memories I would be able to cherish and look back as an adult.

"However, my life was far from that due to these men.  Instead, it was based on being taken to addresses by men been plied with alcohol and drugs, raped and then been made to be feel worthless by a hurl of humiliating and degrading comments directed at me. I meant nothing to these men; they used me for their advantage only.

“This case has been a big personal commitment for me it has taken a long time. I fully understand the reason why it has taken so long and it upsets me to read negative comments on social media in regards to the police taking their time.  The public do not understand the lengths the police have had to go to with the information I have provided to them.” 

A comprehensive prosecution case was put together by GMP and the Crown Prosecution Service’s Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit to present the best evidence and to give the jury an informed understanding of what CSE is and its devastating impact. 

Investigators led a complex and meticulous investigation, working with partners such as St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to ensure the victims remained at the heart throughout. 

St Mary’s SARC provided specialist 24/7 support throughout the investigations into sexual offences and are directly accessible by survivors with or without police involvement, exemplifying their victim-centred approach. 

Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigations Team has almost 90 investigators working every day to listen to victims, understand what justice means for them, and to bring cases to court. 

Every town, city, and borough in GM has a dedicated multi-agency safeguarding team that shares information and investigates all reports to protect children from harm. 

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker, GMP’s lead for protecting vulnerable people, said: “I commend the faith the victims have put into the GMP of today to support this long and complex investigation. They have both spoken of the lifelong trauma, shame, and humiliation they have felt because of the terrible abuse they suffered. However, it is their bravery and resilience that has led to seven more abusers being jailed. 

“The women have been at the heart of our investigation throughout and have received long-awaited justice thanks to diligent detective work and our victim-centred approach. This includes the partnership we have with St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre who provide superb specialist support to survivors of rape and sexual assault. 

“I know that our past failings have meant there are people who doubt the police’s commitment today to putting grooming gangs behind bars where they belong. Let me be clear: time is no barrier to justice, and we are actively working with dozens of survivors on numerous investigations to ensure no offender gets away with this. When you are ready, we will listen and you will be believed.” 

Helen Lomax, Assistant Directorate Manager of the Saint Mary’s Centre and Safeplace Merseyside, said: “At the Saint Mary’s Centre, we offer comprehensive and coordinated forensic, counselling and aftercare service to men, women and children living in the Greater Manchester area who have experienced rape or sexual assault, whether this has happened recently or in the past.  We also operate a second service from another centre in Liverpool, SAFE Place Merseyside and between our two sites we can also provide forensic and healthcare support to survivors of sexual violence from Cheshire and Merseyside and refer them on or signpost to local partner agencies who can offer ongoing ISVA and counselling support. 
 
“The level of support nationally available has developed significantly over recent years, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of that at Saint Mary’s. It’s crucial to our team that we continuously adapt new ways of working as the nature of sexual assault and abuse continues to change. 
 
“While we work in close partnership with our police colleagues to ensure a holistic approach to survivor support, it is important to emphasise that Saint Mary’s SARC is a completely independent NHS service. People can access support irrespective of whether they choose to involve the police. 
 
“We encourage anybody who needs our support to get in touch and speak to us. If you are from outside our commissioned areas of Greater Manchester, Cheshire or Merseyside, support is still available across England. You can contact your nearest SARC 24 hours a day to book an appointment - just check the NHS website for more information (www.nhs.uk/sarcs).” 

Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “I cannot praise the women who came forward and spoke so bravely enough. It is never too late for anyone affected by child sexual exploitation to seek justice and I hope the experience of these two women will help any more victims to come forward.  

“Our Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigations Team are doing pioneering work at helping victims feel safe and listened to in order to get the justice they deserve.”  

How to access support: 

• If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted or abused, a sexual assault referral centre can help.  

• A sexual assault referral centre, also known as a SARC, is an NHS service that provides free, specialist care and support to anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted or abused, at any time in their life. 

• SARCs are available across England, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 

• To get help from a SARC, please call your nearest centre. Greater Manchester’s details can be found here 

• To find a SARC anywhere in England, visit here 

• If you do not want to involve the police or report what happened, you can still get help from a SARC. 

• Further information on SARCs is available at www.nhs.uk/sarcs