The previous Bassetlaw Member of Parliament for Bassetlaw, John Mann alongside Sarah Champion, were the two MPs who stepped up and gave evidence to the Professor Jay Inquiry. They spoke up for their constituents and I am duty bound to continue to be the voice of victims and survivors in Bassetlaw.
Unlike the vast majority of politicians, I sat and listened to victims of child sex abuse. It is gut-wrenching, horrible, beyond anything and for them to have the bravery to speak, including to people like me is awe-inspiring.
Anyone who thinks this isn’t a problem, including here in Bassetlaw, is hiding from the truth. I am disgusted at those who have sat on their hands, shut their mouths and done nothing. From our streets, through villages, towns and into cities, evil men have abused children. Every single one must be hunted down and jailed and we must stop this from ever happening again. Not all children survive, not all have come forward and some are incapable of saying anything.
In our area, some who came forward hadn’t even told their loved ones, parents, husbands, or their own children. Only two MPs attended and participated in the five-year inquiry into child abuse; Sarah Champion from Rotherham and my husband John Mann when he was our MP. Sarah spoke on behalf of the young girls and boys who had been groomed by the rape gangs of Rotherham and elsewhere. Crimes committed by groups of men of Pakistani origin. She is right, we cannot turn our back on anyone.
If you want to know how bad it has been in our area, I invite you to speak to John. He has more scars on his back from his time in Westminster, fighting for justice than anyone. He is still helping me to assist our people.
The idea that victims in our area should not have priority in government is obscene and dangerous. That inquiry lasted five years with John putting in hundreds of days fighting for justice and to eradicate child abuse, and so will I. I will not be told by MPs who did and said nothing until the last few weeks what needs to be done.
The children who survived are now adults. In our area, they tell me that they want us to get on and implement the inquiry recommendations. 20 were published in 2022, and none have been implemented. Last week, I voted to put the first three into law, but I can assure you I am already screaming and shouting, persuading and fighting for the other 17 to be actioned.
Where there is evidence of grooming gang activity, action must be taken, no ifs or buts. In local areas, this may have to be an inquiry, backed by the government with local authorities and the police being called to account and required to implement immediate action. We have to make our cities, towns and communities safe for our children and young people.
I launched my own campaign in November in Parliament on recommendations number 9 and 10 about police checks and I am at war with the powers that be on this issue. I will not be backing down.
I am backing Sarah Champion’s Five Point Plan for addressing Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
