I was delighted to read that the children’s commissioner is now raising the issue of girls who are abused and exploited by gangs (Girl gang members trapped in cycle of violence, 27 November).
The 2012 report of the inquiry I led into the sexual exploitation of girls in the context of gangs exposed the shocking scale and extent of violence perpetrated against young girls (“I thought I was the only one. The only one in the world”). It set out the hard facts of rape, trafficking, humiliation and abuse endured by girls living in gang-affected neighbourhoods. The inquiry report was backed by a further study from Bedfordshire University (“It’s wrong … but you get used to it”) detailing the appalling nature of the sexual violence against girls in these areas. In 2014, I published the final report setting out what needed to be done to tackle gang-related sexual violence and exploitation.
It remains a dreadful indictment of government and all the statutory agencies that, seven years on, so little has changed. One young woman said, after telling the inquiry panel her story: “I can let go now because you are dealing with this.” She, and all the other victims past and present, deserve better.
Sue Berelowitz
Former deputy children’s commissioner for England
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