ANYONE who has read our coverage of the Bullfinch child sex case in the last year will know how horrendous the abuse was.

The ordeals these girls went through were beyond imagination, and nothing can be done to change that.

Ultimately the seven men who were convicted of these appalling crimes are 100 per cent responsible for what they did.

But the trial did expose failings in the way the police and social services deal with victims of alleged sexual abuse, particularly those from troubled backgrounds.

One repeated theme throughout the 18-week trial was the lack of credibility given to the victims’ allegations by the authorities.

Clearly these are sensitive, complex matters and no one is pretending otherwise. There is no quick fix, and every case is different.

But anything that can be done to help future victims of child abuse and punish those who inflict it has to be welcome.

MP Nicola Blackwood’s campaign will certainly highlight the issue and keep it in the public mind, and we wish her luck with it.

It’s fair to say a number of the changes she calls for are already in the pipeline.

Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPO) already exist, though whether they are enforced as often or effectively as they could be is a matter for debate.

The case of a sex offender under a SOPO being able to secretly attend a church’s family services despite police monitoring highlighted failings in the system.

Nevertheless it is important to maintain momentum in the months and years after a high-profile trial to make sure promised changes actually happen.

All too often, the initial outrage that follows such an event can be lost as the memory fades. And that cannot be allowed to happen here.