After the Rotherham sex abuse scandal, I believe we need to take a closer look at local authorities’ responsibility regarding children in their area.

In August, it was revealed in a report that between 1997 and 2013, at least 1,400 children were victims of severe sexual abuse within Rotherham.

The report stated that children as young as 11 were raped, abducted, beaten and intimidated and trafficked to other cities within England.

Professor Alexis Jay, who wrote the report, said: “It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse the child victims suffered.”

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But what obligations do local authorities have regarding children in their area?

The Children Act 1989 places responsibilities on them to provide services, especially for ‘children in need’.

According to the Act, a child in need is defined under Section 17 as unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development his health is likely to be significantly impaired without the provision for him of services by the local authority.

The definition of ‘in need’ is extremely wide and gives the local authority a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within its area who are in need.

Every local authority must take reasonable steps to prevent children in its area suffering ill-treatment or neglect.

Sadly, in the case of the Rotherham abuse scandal, it appears that they did not take sufficient steps, reasonable or not, to try to prevent children suffering abuse.

This appalling report sheds light on the failures of one particular local aAuthority, but others remain determined to protect children daily so that these appalling circumstances can be reduced, and more importantly prevented.

Oxfordshire is also shortly to receive the findings of a Serious Case Review into the ‘Operation Bullfinch’ trial, and we can only wait to see how we as a county fare.

But one thing is for certain.

Complacency is not an option, when it comes to the safety of our children and young people.

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