Rotherham Council leader ‘rejects’ idea that cabinet members remained silent over Jay report into child sexual exploitation

Danielle Andrews
By Danielle Andrews
Published 23rd Jan 2023, 13:49 BST
Updated 23rd Jan 2023, 13:49 BST
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The leader of Rotherham Council says he “rejects” the idea that any members of the cabinet “remained silent” following the publication of the Jay report into child sexual exploitation in the town.

Rotherham Council’s cabinet resigned in order to allow commissioners control of the council following the publication of Professor Alexis Jays’ report into child sexual exploitation in the borough in 2014.

The report concluded that an estimated 1,400 children had been sexually abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

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The report led to the immediate resignation of then council leader Roger Stone, followed by chief executive Martin Kimber, and children’s services director Joyce Thacker.

Rotherham Council’s cabinet resigned in order to allow commissioners control of the council following the publication of Professor Alexis Jays’ report into child sexual exploitation in the borough in 2014.Rotherham Council’s cabinet resigned in order to allow commissioners control of the council following the publication of Professor Alexis Jays’ report into child sexual exploitation in the borough in 2014.
Rotherham Council’s cabinet resigned in order to allow commissioners control of the council following the publication of Professor Alexis Jays’ report into child sexual exploitation in the borough in 2014.

The report outlined missed opportunities to catch perpetrators, and that some senior staff within council and the police had sought to “downplay” the Pakistani heritage of many perpetrators.

During today’s (January 23) cabinet meeting, leader of the Rotherham Conservative group, Councillor Simon Ball, asked: “Does the council leader have good confidence that the cabinet members who have remained silent after the Jay report?”

Councillor Chris Read, leader of the council, responded: “I have full confidence that the cabinet members that we have, and the ones that I’ve appointed in the interim period, and I reject the idea that any of them have remained silent in the wake of that piece of work.

“In fact, I reject the idea that we remained silent in the build up to that. There was only a Jay report because Labour councillors came together and commissioned that piece of work.”