HEARING a 17-year-old recount her experiences of being raped when she was 15 brings home the terrible long-term impact of child sexual exploitation.
High-profile scandals such as those in Rotherham have made authorities keenly aware of the need to tackle the problem, and there has been plenty of encouraging activity in Sussex of late, with the police and crime commissioner pledging more funds and a new, dedicated role created in Sussex Police.
Yet this week one expert in the voluntary sector in Brighton warns there are simply not the funds available for the long-term development work needed to help, a message that deserves being taken seriously.
In Oxford, police have reportedly gone a step further than in Sussex, putting a team of police, council and social workers in one room to work together on the problem.
The close collaboration is said to be making huge strides, and a model perhaps worth looking at over here.
Finally, the problem and the attitudes around it need challenging at every level in society – first and foremost, of course, among the perpetrators – but also by helping teachers and parents spot the signs of abuse, busting stereotypes that it only happens to girls, and challenging behaviour that sees ‘friends’ push each other into degrading sexual behaviour.
What we can no longer do is pretend it is not happening here.
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