MORE than 150 young people have been referred to a specialist exploitation unit set up in the wake of a city child sex ring, it has been revealed.

A total 153 cases were sent to the Kingfisher Team in its first full year of operation in the 12 months from March 2013.

The 20-strong team was set up to bring together police, council and NHS bosses in the wake of the Operation Bullfinch scandal.

County council deputy director for children’s social care Lucy Butler said: “The overall ethos of the Kingfisher team is to never give up on a child if it is thought they have something to disclose.

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“It can often be a very sensitive, long and emotional process, although sometimes a child will disclose relatively quickly.”

Not all referrals will have suffered abuse, but can give information that “can help other lines of inquiry”.

The unit was established in November 2012 following arrests that led to the conviction of seven men who received jail sentences totalling 95 years in May 2013.

The unit is based at Cowley police station and includes Oxfordshire County Council, Thames Valley Police and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

It aims to identify and support children suffering abuse, and build cases against their abusers.

A report from Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board said: “The majority of these young people are female and aged between 15 and 17. Currently there are 83 cases known to the team.”

It has so far seen six cases progress to court, including Archie Collicutt, 18, who was last month jailed for abusing seven girls.

The teenager from Wilcote Riding, Finstock, West Oxfordshire, was jailed for 10 years for raping and sexually abusing children as young as 12.

Thames Valley Police could not provide further information about the severity of the 153 cases that had been investigated.
But it said the team had issued more than 45 “abduction notices” to men “associating with underage girls”.
The police said these can be issued if a parent or carer complains to police. If the adult is seen with the young person again they can be arrested for abduction. 
Referrals have been made through “screening tool” guidance given to professionals who work with children such as teachers as well as through police. Warning signs include physical injuries, sexually transmitted infections, “volatile” behaviour and unexplained relationships with adults.
Kingfisher social care team manager Sue Evans said: “Police officers, social care staff and health staff within our team have learned a lot from each other.”
Det Chief Insp Katy Barrow-Grint from the Oxfordshire Protecting Vulnerable People Unit said: “The success of the team has been due to the ability to quickly share information amongst various professional disciplines, problem-solve together and challenge each other.”
Oxford Community Against Trafficking (OXCAT) spokeswoman Sian Ducker commended the team but said: “It is essential that both the public, as well as all the agencies concerned, do not become complacent in their approach to this issue.
“The risk of sexual exploitation in Oxfordshire remains, but we can all play a part in reducing that risk.”
Oxford East Labour MP Andrew Smith said: “The numbers referred to are shocking, but sadly not surprising now more is known about the awful scale of child sexual exploitation nationwide.”

Tip-offs from the public were behind the latest sex-trafficking raid in East Oxford.
Police raided a property in Cowley Road – the ninth in 24 hours – on Friday night, and two women were offered what officers termed ‘specialist support’.
On Thursday night police searched the Athena Guest House in Cowley Road and seven other properties as part of an investigation into sex trafficking.

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