A mother reported that North East Lincolnshire Council housed her vulnerable son near criminal hotspots for two years after he was groomed by a gang at age 13. He was eventually relocated more than 250 miles away into a specialized placement that cost £1.66m over two years. Before his relocation, the boy committed offenses including assault, resulting in a conditional discharge from Grimsby Magistrates' Youth Court. Local authorities maintained that child exploitation remains a top priority and stated that lessons are continually being learned.
Key points
Home Office figures reveal that the number of recognized child criminal exploitation vict…: Home Office figures reveal that the number of recognized child criminal exploitation victims across the UK nearly doubled to more than 3,000.
North East Lincolnshire recorded a 56% five-year increase in children identified as poten…: North East Lincolnshire recorded a 56% five-year increase in children identified as potentially at risk of exploitation.
Two-thirds of the 153 exploitation cases identified in North East Lincolnshire involved c…: Two-thirds of the 153 exploitation cases identified in North East Lincolnshire involved children aged 15 and under.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
- Published
A mother whose son was groomed by a gang at the age of 13 before being taken into care claims the local authority housed him "right in the centre of exploitation", despite repeated pleas for help.
Within months of being recruited, she said her son was being forced to deliver drugs in Grimsby for up to 36 hours at a time – a "job" he got as easily as "a paper round".
The woman, who we are not identifying, said it took two years for North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) to move her son to safety.
During that time, she said he was put at risk of continued exploitation because he was housed in accommodation she considered unsuitable.
He was eventually moved more than 250 miles (400km) away and his care placement cost £1.66m over two years.
NELC said it did not comment on individual cases, but took child criminal exploitation (CCE) extremely seriously and it was "a top priority" for the local authority and police.
"There are often very challenging situations and lessons are always being learnt,"…
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