Rochdale MP's call to clear crimes of sexual grooming victims

IN a Parliamentary Criminal Justice System debate last week Simon Danczuk, Rochdale's MP, asked that the government quash any criminal convictions against girls who were raped in the recent sexual grooming case.  He requested that crimes which were committed by the victims as a consequence of being raped be overturned. 

Simon Danczuk had said that a victim known as Girl 'A' during the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, smashed up a vending machine in one of the Heywood takeaways in which she had been repeatably raped.  At the time she had been arrested and it was only during police questioning that she had described her sexual exploitation. 

Mr Danczuk explained:  'It became apparent that at least some of the victims had committed crimes that were clearly a response to the abuse that they had received - a cry for help.'  He continued:  'I press the minister to review the cases in which the victims were prosecuted, and possibly revoke some of the action against them... in such cases, children must always be treated as victims, never as willing participants, and certainly never as criminals.'

In an article by Simon Coyle in last Saturday's Rochdale Observer, Simon Danczuk added:  'I believe this is an area where a big miscarriage of justice is taking place.'  Since he became a Rochdale MP, Simon Danczuk, has stood out someone willing to raise awkward issues on behalf of victims like these.