Failings by police and council bosses have been condemned in a recent independent review for leaving vulnerable schoolgirls in northern England at the mercy of paedophile grooming gangs for years. The report, published on Monday, details the abuse of youngsters in Rochdale between 2004 and 2013, as well as similar scandals in other British towns. Dozens of men, mostly of South Asian origin, were eventually convicted in a series of court cases, but the review highlights multiple failed investigations by Greater Manchester Police into the Rochdale abuse.

The lead author of the damning 173-page review, Malcolm Newsam, stated that the police operations during that time period were poorly resourced and failed to match the scale of the widespread organized exploitation. As a result, children were left at risk and many of their abusers remain at large. The review vindicates two whistleblowers, Sara Rowbotham and detective Maggie Oliver, who had flagged clear evidence of prolific serial rape of countless children in Rochdale but had been lone voices. The review, commissioned by Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, was penned by Newsam and former senior police officer Gary Ridgeway.

It calls out the inadequate response by GMP and children's social care to the exploitation of vulnerable children, ultimately leaving them at the mercy of their abusers. In the wake of the failed investigations, Greater Manchester Police launched further inquiries, resulting in the conviction of 42 men involved in the abuse of 13 children. However, the report also identifies 96 men still deemed a potential risk to children, indicating that this is only a proportion of those involved in the abuse. This review sheds light on the systemic failures that allowed these grooming gangs to operate with impunity for so many years and emphasizes the urgent need for accountability and effective intervention to protect vulnerable children from such exploitation.