Rotherham facing ‘long-term funding’ cuts for survivors of sexual abuse

At a full council meeting at Rotherham Town Hall yesterday (October 4), Coun Chris Read, the leader of the council, said Rotherham was once again left behind and is now facing a cut to “long-term funding for survivors of sexual abuse”.

He said: “While our neighbours will benefit from an extension to the government’s ‘Rape and Sexual Abuse support fund’, once again Rotherham is being left behind and is facing a shortfall in funding as a result.

“I’ve written to the minister raising my concern that here of all places should be a priority for government funding, not an afterthought.

“But they don’t seem to get it.”

Coun Read added he had asked officers at town hall to find solutions to fill the gap.

During the meeting, Coun Gregory Reynolds (Conservatives) told the council leader that “it was a bit rich” to suggest that “they” don’t get it.

He said: “It was Rotherham Borough Councillors that didn’t get it right at the very start of this mess.

“That was the whole cause of it, and to suggest that they don’t get it… It was you who didn’t get it.

“It’s completely ridiculous to suggest that you’re now crusading for this. When we had the chance, you denied all knowledge first, you denied it was going on, and then two reports came out and it was obvious…”

In his response, Coun Read added it was a competitive bidding process and while organisations in Barnsley and Doncaster were successful, Rotherham groups were left empty-handed.

He admitted that “those failings were real and they happened” and they spent a lot of time, money and effort to “put those things as right as we possibly can”.

However, he said: “But I will always keep banging the drum to make sure those services are as well-funded as possible and people of Rotherham do not lose out.”