A promise to close a loophole on 'out of area taxis' as part of a crackdown on grooming gangs is been welcomed in Hampshire
A government promise to close a loophole on 'out of area taxis' as part of a crackdown on grooming gangs has been welcomed by Hampshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
It follows a devastating national report into child grooming gangs which has led to the Prime Minister’s decision to hold a national inquiry into the issue. The report suggested a raft of recommendations including what data is recorded, how child victims are treated and the closure of a loophole which means taxi drivers can apply for a license anywhere in the country but then operate in another area.
This has been an issue of concern in Hampshire for some time as a large number of the area’s drivers of private hire cars and taxis being licenced in Wolverhampton. This means that local councils have no control over standards of taxis and drivers who operate in their area.
But the government has pledged swift action to stop this after taxis were identified as a way children can be at risk of sexual exploitation across in the report by Baroness Casey.
Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said: “Two years ago, I called for all licencing authorities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to make CCTV mandatory in Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles to keep people safe and for the government to close legal loopholes which meant drivers can apply for a license anywhere in the country but then operate in another area.
“I’m pleased The Home Secretary has announced this loophole will be closed immediately.”
The PCC said that it was ‘with deep sadness and relief’ that she welcomed the announcement of the grooming gangs public enquiry, but added that for many it was ‘too little, too late’.
“Whilst I’m relieved that a full, independent public inquiry has now been approved, it is with mixed emotions of anger, disbelief and disgust at the position the country has found itself in,” she said.
“I have been calling for a full national inquiry for years. Finally, the Government has acted but for some, it’s too little, too late. For years, these young women weren’t believed and this has caused them further unnecessary suffering.
“We need to make sure we learn from the mistakes highlighted in Baroness Casey’s review – those cultural issues that happened across the CPS, policing, councils, social workers, children’s services departments and care agencies, to make sure that this can never happen again.
“For every victim, your voices were heard and this hopefully ensures you get the outcome you deserve.”
One key concern raised in the report was a failure of police forces to record data in two-thirds of cases on the ethnicity of perpetrators and victims, meaning it was not possible to draw conclusions at a national level on any patterns.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary was invited by The News to confirm if this data had been recorded across the two counties, but it declined to answer.
However, Acting Chief Constable Sam de Reya said that it was important to make sure the voices of victims were heard, and that officers were working closely with national colleagues to tackle the issue and stop perpetrators moving across the county borders.
Find out about The News’ email series and enjoy the day’s headlines delivered to your inbox for free
She said: “It is the courage of women and girls who come forward to report such devastating crimes that drives our specialist teams, who work tirelessly with great professionalism, compassion and empathy to follow the evidence and support victims in every way possible.
“Along with police forces across the country, we are working through the report to ensure any recommendations that are not already adopted within our current approach, are actioned.
“We must always prioritise the safety of any victims and survivors and make sure that their voices are heard. We know we cannot do this alone and we’re continuing to work with our stakeholders across our communities to bring change where it is needed to protect those at risk and bring those responsible to justice for their sickening crimes.
“We will also continue to work with the national Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce, making sure perpetrators are relentlessly pursued no matter where in the country they might be.
“Our teams help to ensure victims and survivors are introduced to support from a number of specialised commissioned services, such as CIS’ters, Treetops SARC, Yellow Door and YPI Counselling.”