Superintendent Richard Padwell speaks at the Children s Services Scrutiny Committee meeting A REVIEW into how child sexual exploitation has been handled in Bradford could be completed as early as next month, a Committee has been told. The Bradford Partnership, made up of a number of different organisations including Bradford Council, the police and local charities, is finalising its independent thematic Serious Case Review of CSE in the District. At a meeting of Bradford Council s Children s Services Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday evening, members of the Partnership said the review will look at five cases, two historic cases that involve abuse that took place years ago and only recently came to light, and three more recent grooming cases.
THERE were almost 150 recorded cases of human trafficking and modern slavery in Bradford over a 12 month period - but the true scale of the issue is likely to be much higher. Between April 2019 and March 2020 police in Bradford recorded 147 incidents involving people being exploited either through trafficking or being treated as a slave. The issue will be discussed by Bradford Council’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, where members will be told that the crimes are emerging as a “new threat” to the safeguarding of vulnerable people. Modern slavery can take numerous forms, including people being forced to work for little or no pay in exchange for accommodation.