Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman has told of his frustration at trying to get the authorities to take seriously the allegations of child sex victims.
He says he was approached by at least half-a-dozen of them back in 2008 when he was chairman of the Children’s, Schools and Families Select Committee and tried in a parliamentary debate to raise his concerns.
But he said the climate at the time was not conducive and the “negative reaction” left him struggling to take the matter forward.
Told today of the arrests the Huddersfield MP said: “I am deeply disturbed by this. I brought some of these cases to the attention of the police many years ago.
“I’m afraid that at the time too many people didn’t want to take it seriously including some leading people in the council.
“There was a reluctance to accept this, certainly the local council and the police.
“But I am glad that eventually the police have responded. “It’s deeply disturbing for the reputation of the town.
“A lot of misery might have been avoided if earlier action by the people responsible for children’s services had been taken.
“They were hoping it would go away. The leadership of the council was reluctant to face up to what I was seeing.
“When I went to the police I got the answer which I can understand was that these young people were in fear or in love with their perpetrators and surveillance was very expensive.
“Some of these alleged victims were in care but some of them were perfectly ordinary girls who had been lured into relationships.
“I knew perfectly well what was happening. It was across England, Oxford, London and the north.
“I wish I could have worked even harder but I got a very negative reaction to my Westminster debate.”
Barry said: "Those people arrested will be getting a fair trial and those guilty of abuse of these children will be brought to book."
