Further arrests have been made in Bradford in connection with an investigation into the historical child sexual exploitation and abuse of a child from the age of 13. The offences relate to sexual abuse, which predominantly took place in the Bradford area, between 2000-2005.

West Yorkshire Police have arrested 12 men and one woman. They have been released on bail.

Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Greenbank, of West Yorkshire Police, said:

“These arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into non-recent sexual offences against a child in the Bradford area.

“We are focused on victims and survivors who have bravely come forward to speak to us, trusting us to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.

“We hope that investigations like this show we take all reports of sexual abuse seriously and you will be supported by officers with experience of dealing with these kind of offences.”

We are pleased to see the authorities taking child sexual exploitation seriously. The effects of this kind of continual and horrific abuse have significant and long-lasting effects on children who will often face distress and struggles as adults as a result of the trauma they have endured. It is common for survivors to be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other serious mental and physical health issues. 

It is also not unusual for it to take time for victims to acknowledge that the treatment that they were subject to was in fact abuse and come forward. Many were led to believe that they were in relationships with the men who exploited them and, in turn, became attached to these men. In addition, many survivors were significantly failed by the authorities who were supposed to protect them as children and so speaking to police officers takes a huge amount of strength.

West Yorkshire Police is also supporting the #WhenYouAreReady campaign, set up by the national Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce , which aims to support survivors of childhood abuse and exploitation at their own pace. Further information can be found here .

Switalskis has been successful in securing substantial financial settlements for survivors of child sexual exploitation and represent a growing number of women in the West Yorkshire area. We represent a large number of survivors of child sexual exploitation nationally.

If you, or someone you know, has been affected by this kind of abuse and you wish to have a confidential chat about the options available, then please contact Amy Clowrey on 01924 882000 or email amy.clowrey@switalskis.com