Liz Brighouse, former cabinet member for Children, Education and Youth Services at Oxfordshire County Council, revealed: “One of the parts of the Bullfinch Enquiry related to a young woman who took refuge in a police station only to be turned away.
“I hope I am right in thinking that this wouldn’t happen today.”
Operation Bullfinch, a joint investigation launched in May 2011 by Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire County Council resulted in the convictions of 31 men for serious offences against children and young people spanning the late 1990s to the late 2000s.
“There was a lot learning in Oxfordshire as a result of the Serious Case Review into Bullfinch,” said Ms Brighouse.
“The review was horrendous to read.”
Liz Brighouse, former cabinet member for children at Oxfordshire County Council.
Ms Brighouse, leader of the Labour & Co-operative Party Group, also said she backed the government’s plans for a nationwide review of grooming gang evidence and five government-backed local inquiries.
Conservatives and some Labour MPs have called for a statutory national inquiry.
She said: “There was a Serious Case Review into Bullfinch in Oxfordshire and there were a series of recommendations which were followed up and which are at the forefront of the minds of all those working with children across the county day in and day out.
“Victims need to be listened to. They live their lives in the shadow of the horrendous abuse they suffered as do their children.
“Local authorities need to look closely at this issue and hopefully the money set aside by the Labour Government will allow this to happen where reviews haven’t been carried out.
“As to an another national inquiry – we need to fund the recommendations in the previous National Inquiry and we need to look again nationally at the need for Youth Support Provision in our communities across the country.
“Investment in future generations is sorely needed.”
She added: “The sort of horrific abuse which girls women and sometimes boys face at the hands of sexual predators needs to be constantly called out and addressed.
“There also needs to be work done with young men to turn them away from this abominable behaviour which has been going on forever and nowadays is often fuelled by social media.”
Thames Valley Police said the way it deals with child sexual exploitation cases is “notably different” now compared to during the Operation Bullfinch period.
The force said it implemented all recommendations in the Independent Serious Case Review.
It said ‘group-based offending’ now makes up just over five per cent of child sexual exploitation offences in the Thames Valley, which is in line with national rates.
“The exploitation of children is and continues to be a priority for Thames Valley Police,” said a spokesperson.
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