THE 18-year jail term handed to child sex trafficker Tilal Mahdi comes at the end of a harrowing and difficult week.

Just three days after the Serious Case Review into Operation Bullfinch, where so many horrific details of child sexual abuse in Oxford were brought to light, here at least is some justice.

Mahdi’s sentencing came on the same day as six young men in Banbury were convicted of a range of sexual offences against children.

Accusations were made in the Banbury trial that police were on some kind of “witch-hunt” to gain results following the scandal around Operation Bullfinch To try and undermine a police investigation by saying that there is a “witchhunt” should not be allowed to stand, given the horrific suffering of the Bullfinch victims.

If anything, this week has shown how vital is that police comprehensively and thoroughly investigate any claims of child sexual abuse.

Any charges brought will then be tried and tested in court, and verdicts delivered by a jury. Victims must be listened to and taken seriously. Justice must be done.

The defence counsel’s irresponsible and desperate claim that police and social services are now so desperate for results they will resort to embellishment is a dangerous and irresponsible assertion.

Convictions depend on police and social services being tenacious enough to tackle child sex allegations head-on, as the Kingfisher team is proving with this latest success.

At last, we appear to be making progress to protect these vulnerable young girls.