Derbyshire police running 10 major
child sex abuse probes
By Isaac Crowson
Police are now dealing with 10 major probes into claims of historical child sex abuse at institutions in Derbyshire.
The allegations centre on children's homes, a hospital and even sports clubs.
Officers had already confirmed they were looking at claims of abuse at the former Aston Hall mental hospital, near Derby, and the ex-children's homes Elmhurst in Littleover and Overseal Manor in South Derbyshire.
In total, seven relate to children's homes. There is probe into an eighth institution that is not a children's home. In addition, there are two more inquiries which are “sport-related", at least one of which is believed to involve a sports club, according to a report put before police bosses.
The Derby Telegraph can reveal that the force's Public Protection Major Investigation Team is carrying out the investigations.
One hundred and five people have contacted the force to claim they were abused at the hospital in Aston-on-Trent, following a Derby Telegraph investigation into allegations children were experimented on. The site is now a housing estate.
A spokesman for Derbyshire police confirmed it was now one of 10 major historical abuse inquiries.
One is understood to be Elmhurst Children's Home in Lonsdale Place in Derby. Police said a pensioner had been arrested on suspicion of historical sexual offences linked to the home which are alleged to have happened in the 70s and 80s. A file has been passed to prosecutors.
A police report said the 10 investigations come after historical sexual abuse allegations have rocketed.
It reads: “The investigations vary from children's homes to sports clubs and include Aston Hall Hospital, the latter having received considerable media interest. Each investigation is progressing with senior investigator oversight."
The report also said “numerous referrals" had been made to police which could not be progressed due to the suspect not being known or the complainant wanting to remain anonymous.
Clare Vickers, head of advocacy and support at the charity Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence, said it was working with several people who said they suffered historical abuse.
She said: “It's brilliant that these victims have found the courage to come forward and report what happened to them to the police and they have launched these major investigations. Police are taking these reports very seriously. It's a very difficult subject. Coming forward and getting support can really help. It can give victims a sense of being believed for the first time.
“However, although it is called historical abuse, because of its nature, it can sometimes the pain can feel like it's happening right now. It can be blocked out of people's minds but can also return. That's when they need help and support. It can only be stored away for so long."
Dianne Collins, a solicitor at Nelsons Solicitors in Derby, is representing around 20 alleged victims of Aston Hall.
She said: “We are experienced at dealing with child abuse claims and getting victims of abuse justice. We can help with any claim they want to make. Getting justice is an important part of their recovery."
Derbyshire, UK
Bradford and Keighley child sex abuse
cases stand at 179
From BBC Leeds & West Yorkshire
The crimes being investigated involve 165 suspects
and more than 100 victims
Royal Arcade, Keighley
A total of 179 cases of child sexual exploitation (CSE) are being investigated in Keighley and Bradford, West Yorkshire Police has said.
The cases involve 165 suspects and more than 100 victims.
A police spokesperson said many cases had "multiple suspects and multiple victims" but there was also a large number involving single suspects.
Last year, 12 men were jailed for their part in the abuse of a single victim in Keighley.
Eleven were jailed at Bradford Crown Court after being convicted of raping the girl from the age of 13 and another man was sentenced for sexual activity with her.
'Abhorrent crime'
The CSE figures, which were given to the Keighley News and confirmed to the BBC by police, compare with last year's figure of 220 cases.
There were 261 suspects under investigation at the same time in 2016.
A police spokesperson said: "West Yorkshire Police and partners have been proactive in their approach to encourage victims to come forward and reassure them that all reports will be taken seriously.
"We have developed a far greater understanding of CSE than in the past and this has led to rapid action to prioritise resources to improve the identification and prosecution of perpetrators of this abhorrent crime."
Keighley, UK
Great new policy for gardai investigating child sex abuse
and rapes in Ireland
Front-line gardaí will no longer investigate
rapes, child sex abuse
Radical new process begins to specialise investigation of
sexual violence and trafficking
Conor Lally
The reforms will bring to an end the much-criticised practice of most sex crimes being investigated by the Garda member who responded to the initial emergency call. Photograph: Frank Miller
Front-line gardaí will no longer investigate rapes or child sexual abuse under radical policing reforms.
Instead, all such crimes will be investigated by small specialist Garda teams in every Garda division, the first four of which began operating on Friday.
The development was recommended by the Garda Inspectorate and is part of Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan’s modernisation and reform programme.
It will bring to an end the much-criticised practice of most sex crimes being investigated by the Garda member who responded to the initial emergency call.
This practice often resulted in gardaí with no specialist training or expertise, and in some cases little experience, investigating rapes or domestic violence cases, leading to poor outcomes and low conviction rates.
The Garda Inspectorate found one third of domestic violence cases were not recorded, in any way, by the Garda.
However, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau is now establishing divisional protective services units in all 28 Garda divisions.
The first four 15-member teams began operating on Friday in the Louth, Cork and the Dublin West divisions. Their work will be monitored and reviewed for the next 12 months. At the end of that initial period, the remaining teams will be rolled out.
Each will be led by an inspector, with two sergeants and about 12 rank-and-file detectives.
Combating human trafficking
The Garda personnel assigned to the units have already been trained for the inquiries they will undertake and most are experienced in the area.
However, a system of continuous professional development modules is also planned. These are being delivered by a selection of NGOs including Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, One in Four and National Women’s Council of Ireland.
Some 44 Garda personnel have already been assigned to the divisional teams in Cabra, Clondalkin, Dundalk and Anglesea Street, Cork.
Later this month, they will receive a module of training on combating human trafficking.
They will also investigate sex crimes, online exploitation of children, domestic violence, human trafficking, organised prostitution, children missing in care and will run sex offender management.
Det Supt Declan Daly of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau said the protective services divisional teams would be managed locally and were a “ring fenced resource” for the investigation of sex crimes.
However, the units would receive support, guidance and training from the Dublin-based bureau.
He believed the specialisation of sexual violence investigative work would have a range of positive effects, including jailing more sex offenders.
“For us, increasing the conviction rates is important but they are not the only consideration,” he said. “It’s also about how with interact with victims and their satisfaction levels.
“If we deliver a consistent and professional approach the natural knock-on effect is a great satisfaction level from victims, increased support of them and more prosecutions and convictions.”
Domestic violence
Supt Daly said a domestic violence incident reported to the Garda in the early hours of the morning would be responded to by local gardaí on duty.
And those Garda personnel may continue to investigate the incident and deal with the victim long after the call-out. The same was true for some sexual assaults.
However if the same victim, for example, reported domestic violence more than once, or if the case involved a very extreme act of domestic violence or sexual assault, the divisional protective services unit would take over the investigation.
In the case of other sex crimes, they would be investigated exclusively by the divisional units and never by regular gardaí.
“All child sexual abuse cases will be dealt with by the divisional units, all rapes will be investigate by the units,” Supt Daly said.
“And that’s important because we will have specialist staff delivering that service to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”
He said it was imperative that the 12-month trial now under way be used to perfect the rollout in 2018 of all protective services divisional units in the 28 Garda divisions nationwide.
“The whole concept is to deliver a consistent and professional approach to the investigation of specialist crime types,” he said.
“A person walking into a Garda station to report a sexual crime or domestic violence in, say, Louth, will get the very same professional service as somebody in Galway, Kilkenny, or any part of the country.”
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