Words by ITV News Scotland Correspondent Peter Smith and Scotland Producer Stephanie Docherty
ITV and STV News has been following “Taylor’s” story as she campaigns for the Scottish government to acknowledge the abuse she suffered by a group of Pakistani men while she was living in care as a teenager, and her calls for a full public inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland.
Last week, the Scottish Government announced a national review into grooming gangs to understand the scale of the abuse in Scotland, but Taylor and other victims say the review doesn’t go far enough.
They are concerned about the independence of the review if it is to be led by the Care Inspectorate and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, a Scottish government body that provides scrutiny of Police Scotland to the Scottish parliament.
They say these are the same bodies who let them down in the first place and are calling for the government to appoint an independent chair of the review, similar to the role held by Baroness Casey in England and Wales.
After Taylor, which is a pseudonym to protect her identity, spoke out, the First Minister invited her to Bute House for a private in-person meeting.
We spoke to her as she emerged.
“It went okay. It’s been a lot for me to deal with and I’ve kept quiet for 15 years, but I do feel we are getting one wee step closer.
“He said he’s seen what happened to me and he did apologise.
“I told him it’s not an apology I’m looking for, I just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to any children in future.”
She is still not happy that Scotland has stopped short of a full inquiry.
“I told him the organisations doing this review are the same groups that let me down.
“And I told him we want it to be led by someone independent, just the same as happened in England.”
Taylor’s care files revealed that police and care staff knew she was at heightened risk of sexual exploitation, but they decided not to speak to her or ask if she was being abused.
STV News has now seen more evidence of this after accessing the care files of another survivor who came forward after seeing Taylor’s story.
We are calling her ‘Amy’ and her files show that care staff could clearly see signs that she was being groomed and abused by adults while she was a 12-year-old living in care.
One entry from 2000 shows care staff have “great concern” she is “being exploited by a [redacted] man, whom she claims to be having a relationship with.” And that, “they were found in bed together at one point, when she was aged 12.”
By the time she is 14, a team of social workers describe what’s happening to her as “prostitution and sexual relationships with older men,” noting that she shows signs of “IV drug use” and “may be pregnant”.
Sandra Brown OBE, the head of the Moira Anderson Foundation, a child protection organisation, shares the victim’s concerns about the independence of the proposed review.
“Looking at the basic reports, you realise there is a closing of ranks going on, and I think that could happen across inter-agencies.
“It’s not helpful and we will not learn lessons or move on unless it is a completely unbiased independent review.”
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she is committed to listening to the survivors and will update Parliament again next week.
“It is important that we get this right for them, and I am sorry if they do not feel at the current time that is what we are undertaking so I will commit to do that and will update Parliament further next week.
“I will listen to them and engage with them directly and will listen to their advice.”
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