THE Bullfinch Report into the organised sexual exploitation of young girls in care is a very serious document.

Clearly there were failures in the operations of social services and the police.

We should not hesitate to identify the individuals who turned a blind eye and see clearly the organisational failures that led to the sexual slavery of the girls who had the courage to take their abusers to court.

Oxfordshire County Council has responded to the findings of the report and appointed more social workers to bring the department back up to strength and give it the stability of leadership that is important.

Even more important, there is now a better tracking and reporting system between social services and the police to identify victims.

With specialist staff to help victims of sexual abuse, these measures will undoubtedly help stop exploitation in the future.

However, we need to think in the long term as to how to eliminate this.

Not only in Oxfordshire but in many other areas where I am convinced this ugly, brutal treatment of young girls has been and undoubtedly still is going on.

We need better sex education in schools.

Ofsted has reported that more than 40 per cent are not providing even basic sex education and many simply ignore it.

Most schools will cover reproduction but we need a deeper debate about consent and the impact of pornography.

Caroline Lucas, the Green MP, has submitted a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament to establish this relationship element as a vital element in a sex education programme so that teenagers know the difference between consent and abuse.

As sex education has slowly been introduced over the past 25 years we have seen the rate of teenage pregnancies and abortions decline.

Now we need all young people to benefit and for our schools and parents to put a greater emphasis on this important issue.

Cllr DAVID WILLIAMS Leader of the Green Group on Oxfordshire County Council London Road Oxford