Men
arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to rape, trafficking, blackmail and drugs
offences in raids in Stockton-on-Tees and Sheffield
- Lizzie Dearden Home Affairs
Correspondent
- Tuesday 9 January 2018
A gang of
men who have allegedly been trafficking women around northern England to be
raped for profit are being hunted by police after one of their victims came
forward.
More than
150 officers launched coordinated morning raids in Stockton-on-Tees and
Sheffield targeting men suspected of conspiracy to rape, sexual exploitation,
trafficking, blackmail and drugs offences.
A
spokesperson for Cleveland Police told The Independent the
victims may have been groomed as part of the abuse.
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“We’re not
ruling anything out,” he added. “It looks like a number of young women from the
Cleveland area were being exploited and used for sex, sometimes commercially
and sometimes not.
“They were
raped and trafficked to areas like Sheffield.”
Intelligence
gathered so far suggests that an unknown number of young women have been
trafficked within Cleveland and beyond the area for several months, being raped
by multiple men after being driven to residential homes.
Police
struck after a woman from Teesside came forward to say she had been trafficked
to different parts of the country and abused.
Police lead
away a man after a raid at an address in Stockton, Teesside, as part of a
crackdown on people trafficking and serious sexual offences (PA)
Her
evidence has identified 10 other potential victims and investigators expect the
number to rise as the operation continues.
South
Yorkshire Police – which was heavily criticised for its initial failure to respond to
historic grooming in Rotherham – is working with officers in Cleveland on the
case and the National Crime Agency has been informed.
Immigration
enforcement officers joined police on Tuesday’s raids, which saw eight men
arrested at seven homes in Stockton-on-Tees and another suspect arrested in
Callow Mount, Sheffield.
A man whose
door was smashed down in in Bowesfield Lane, Stockton, was questioned by police
and immigration officers before being led away in handcuffs.
As he was
taken past reporters and into a police van, he looked confused and said:
“What's happened?”
Investigators
could be seen checking a pair of trousers before carrying out a thorough search
of the property.
Assistant
Chief Constable Jason Harwin said Cleveland Police and its partners had acted
strongly to “tackle those who seek to benefit from the suffering of others”.
Police raid
a house in Stockton, Teesside, as part of a crackdown on people trafficking and
serious sexual offences (PA)
“Human
trafficking, the exploitation of the most vulnerable in our communities by the
most ruthless, will not be accepted,” he added.
“Our
message is clear, to those who are victims of this vile abuse; there is hope.
We are on your side; we can and will help you. We are here for you, and we are
stronger and more determined than your abusers.
“To those
who traffic in human beings, in human lives, who seek to gain from fear or
weakness, our message is unequivocal; we are strong, we are determined and we
will bring you to justice.”
Barry
Coppinger, Cleveland’s elected Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Tackling
human trafficking and sexual exploitation is not just about police officers, we
must all come together as a community if we are to make a real difference.”
The case
comes after a series of large-scale police operations against grooming gangs in
the wake of revelations that victims in Rotherham were ignored or accused of
criminal offences over years of abuse.
More
than 700 potential victims were
identified by Operation Sanctuary, which investigated grooming gangs operating in Northumberland and Tyne
and Weir – bordering Cleveland.
Officials warned at the time that there was “every likelihood
this is happening in every town and city across the country”, urging police and
local councils to actively search for grooming activity.
UK NEWS IN PICTURES
28 April
2018
People
release balloons outside Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, following
the death on Saturday morning of Alfie Evans, who was being treated at the
hospital. The 23-month-old died at 2.30am, parents Kate James and Thomas Evans
said on Facebook. The youngster was at the centre of a legal battle over his
treatment that touched hearts around the world. PA
27 April
2018
US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, speaks with British Foreign Secretary
Boris Johnson, left, and Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, center,
during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in
Brussels. NATO held its last major meeting in its old headquarters, with talks
focused on strained ties with Russia, a fresh peace effort in Afghanistan and a
new training mission for Iraq. AP
More than a
dozen men have been jailed for their part in the Newcastle-based ring, and
groups have been prosecuted for sexual exploitation in Oxford, Bradford and
Rochdale.
Last month, The Independent revealed
that a new suspected grooming gang had been uncovered in London, with at least four
girls aged between 13 and 15 reporting rape.
Police said
a criminal gang was operating out of a McDonald’s in Stratford, targeting
victims before taking them to different locations where they were sexually
assaulted.
Drugs and
alcohol are frequently used by grooming gangs to incapacitate girls or coerce
them into sex, with the criminality later discouraging victims from going to
police.
There are
several methods of grooming, with the best-known “boyfriend” model seeing an
abusive relationship used to force victims into sex with others.
Children
can also be trafficked, befriended online or – in the so-called “party model” –
targeted by groups of men who lure them to gatherings with offers of drinks,
drugs, money and car rides.
Cleveland
Police is urging victims to get in contact, where they will be put in touch
with specially trained officers and be given access to a support network.
Anyone with
information is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101 or charities such as
the Teesside Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).
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