“Chris Read as a leader can now do the right thing and act decisively!”

I agree with the writer who submitted a recent letter entitled “Rotherham Council Silencing Voices of Hope and Despair”.

After taking time to submit a question for the last full council meeting in February about CSE and the ongoing failure of the leader of Rotherham Council to answer questions, the response was again woefully poor and he again side-stepped the question.

The leader of Rotherham Council continues to avoid the truth and in doing so treats victims and survivors of CSE with contempt.

As we know, the victims of CSE abuse have had their lives totally damaged and many of them suffer severe mental health anguish.

This anguish is made worse by the failure of the leader of Rotherham Council to face the facts.

The facts are on record in the Casey and Jay reports.

The evidence is also in who attended the seminar in April 2005, approximately eight years before it was exposed by Andrew Norfolk in the Times.

The response to that was the usual… more provarication, denial and rebuking the award- winning journalist.

Councillors failed to protect, failed to warn their communities and families of the ongoing risks to their children… then chose to cover it up for years and continued to fail to face the facts. The grotesque abuse continued unabated.

Why are there still a handful of senior councillors left on the council that were present at the seminar?

Why are they still present on the cabinet and/or council despite their dereliction of duty, failure to safeguard the vulnerable and those in care?

Some of them even had the gall and thick skin to stand again in this May’s council elections, which have since been put back a year because of the coronavirus criss, and maybe one even hopes to become Mayor. I am confident such a move will lead to enormous protests at council meetings and in the community.

However, now that those elections have been shelved till next year, let’s hope they are told to stand down by the Party; and get rid of all those involved.

Realistically, I doubt it.

All of this brings our town and Rotherham Council into further disrepute; and it is a stain on our party and our values.

In fact when the Jay/Casey reports were done… some were still in denial including one incredulously admitting to a Channel 4 presenter that he had not read the reports in full.

There have been enough cover-ups in our area.

The victims and electorate want honest answers, openness and transparency.

It is not before time that all those involved in this grubby chapter – the perpetrators, councillors/politicians, senior council and senior police officers were properly investigated on oath and prosecuted.

Finally, on openness and transparency, since August 2014, what has been the total amount paid by RMBC for the costs of CSE in legal fees, compensation, and insurance?

Chris Read as a leader can now do the right thing and act decisively!