Frustration on frustration as CSE report hits delay after delay
The news that the CSE report into historic allegations of child sex exploitation in Oldham has been delayed again has been met with anger and concern by local councillors.
Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said: “It was only weeks ago that I was responding to an entirely predictable delay in the report, when time had not been allowed for the legal process. To be in the same position again just weeks later beggars belief.”
Leaks from the report last week showed heavy criticism of the Police and Oldham Council for their handling of a 2006 investigation, with Oldham Council issuing an apology to the victim.
The Liberal Democrat Councillor continued: “This report has been two years in the making, and while I am not happy that it has taken this long, I accepted at the start that this was an independent investigation, and that they would follow where the evidence led, and take enough time to investigate it properly.
“However, why have we been given deadline after deadline that simply haven’t taken account of all the steps needed for it to be completed? Last time it was because time hadn’t been allowed for the legal process, this time because time hasn’t been allowed for responses from those in the report.
“Imagine if you were a survivor; one of the people who has been interviewed by the independent investigation team. How would you feel if you had been given a dates, repeatedly, when the report was going to be released, and again, it wasn’t.
“One of the greatest issues facing survivors is the build-up of emotion caused by any time at which they might have to face talking or thinking about their experiences. Triggering that process, by giving a date that is then withdrawn, is careless and cruel.”
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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