Key services dismissed child exploitation as “child prostitution” and blamed the children rather than the perpetrators. The report also concluded that the exploit was not investigated due to nervousness about the breed. Teachers and youth workers were discouraged from reporting child exploitation and offenders were encouraged, with the exploitation continuing for years. The Telford Independent Child Exploitation Inquiry has investigated widespread grooming in the town since 1989 to the present day. It was found that men met girls, either on the street or in their role as taxi drivers or food delivery men, and persuaded them to become their ‘girlfriend’. They gave the children lifts, bought them alcohol and cigarettes and then persuaded them to engage in sexual activity. Children were led to believe that this was normal behavior. Violence and the threat of violence were common. The girls were taken to remote locations at night and threatened with abandonment unless they engaged in sexual activity. Gang rape was not uncommon. Image: Lucy Lowe, her mother and sister died in a fire started by her abuser Fears of “racism” because Asian men were involved The report examined evidence from survivors who believe West Mercia Police failed to take appropriate action in some investigations to avoid being branded racist or because the involvement of Asian men meant the investigation would potentially attract negative headlines. He concludes that in the 1990s and early 2000s – and even beyond – the force allowed a nervousness about race to take hold among officers, and that this led to reluctance in Wellington police stations, in particular. The report found that Lucy Lowe’s murder was used by the perpetrators as a continuing threat to other children. Lucy died when she was 16 when her abuser set her house on fire. Her mother and sister were also killed in the fire Taxi driver Azhar Ali Mehmood was jailed in 2001 for their murders but was never prosecuted for sex offences. Lucy had given birth to his child when she was only 14 years old. She was pregnant at the time of her death. The inquest heard evidence that Lucy’s murder was well known in a particular school and meant children were intimidated into not making complaints. Image: Azhar Mehmood was jailed for life in 2001 for murdering Lucy and her family A witness from the school told the inquest team that the girls “were all over it because … Lucy had lost her life. And they knew it”. The report found that the sexual exploitation of children had been thriving unchecked in Telford for decades. It was not hidden and the key players knew about it in detail. In the 1990s, people working with children, including police officers, youth workers and teachers, raised concerns about repeated incidents of children going missing, but these concerns were not taken seriously enough by West Mercia Council or Police. The report makes a number of recommendations for improvement. “We were judged as shameless” Holly Archer, not her real name, who was abused from the age of 14 and campaigned for the inquiry, said: “Social services let me down, the mental health team, the children’s mental health service – they let me down. “My GP surgery, the police – because they would see us on the street and just drive past in the middle of the night and not even say anything. “So actually I think everyone who had a duty of care abdicated that responsibility for this whole time in my life. “They could have asked me what was going on, and it could have been something so simple, and nobody asked me. “The lessons I’d like to learn from this is that everyone has a bit of professional curiosity, whether it’s their responsibility or not. Everyone’s job is to protect children. “We were judged as being naughty or that we made these choices on our own. “When they say they’re going to implement the recommendations from the report, I want them to implement all the recommendations from the report and I want them to be done right.” “It was unacceptable, we let you down” – police In response to the report, West Mercia Police issued an “unreserved apology to victims and survivors… for the force’s past failings”. Assistant Chief Constable Richard Cooper said: “I would like to apologise. Apologies to the survivors and everyone affected by child sexual exploitation in Telford. “While there were no findings of corruption, our actions fell far short of the help and protection you should have had from us, it was unacceptable, we let you down. “It is important that we now take time to think critically and carefully about the framework of the report and the recommendations that have been made.” He said the force had made “huge improvements” and now had teams dedicated to preventing and tackling child exploitation. “We want it to be reported to us by people who are or think they are being exploited or are concerned about child sexual exploitation. We will listen and act on any information that comes to us,” Mr Cooper said. Telford & Wrekin Council also apologized “wholeheartedly to the victims and survivors for the pain they have gone through” and described the sexual exploitation of children as a “vicious crime”. It said the inquiry noted it had made “significant improvements in recent years” and said it was already implementing many of the report’s recommendations. A government spokesman called the abuse in Telford “appalling” and said children were being let down all over the world. “Public agencies, their leaders and frontline professionals should not be afraid to tackle crime, including child abuse, regardless of the race, ethnicity, religion or other characteristics of the perpetrators or their victims,” ​​said a statement. “We welcome the recognition in today’s report that these services have improved. But we are determined that past mistakes must never be repeated and will not hesitate to take further national action if necessary.”