Taylor, not her real name, was devastated to learn that authorities knew she was a potential victim but that no one spoke to her about it.
A grooming gang victim was devastated to learn that she had been listed by police – alongside 45 other girls – of being risk of sexual exploitation.
Taylor, not her real name, previously spoke to the Record about her experiences after she was sexually abused by up to 10 Pakistani men when she lived in care in Glasgow as a 13 year old.
She thought no-one in authority knew what was happening to her, but now after opening her care files for the first time she has learned that in 2013, police visited her care unit as part of an inquiry into potential grooming gangs
Taylor said she was devastated to learn that authorities knew she was a potential victim but that no one spoke to her about it.
Speaking to ITV, she said: “Nobody spoke to me about that, not one member of staff, no police officer. My mum wasn’t informed about that visit from the police. Not once was it mentioned.
“I’m just realising that people have known about this – it’s ruined my life, the older I’ve got. I’ve had to live with these demons for years. My friend from then, she’s not here anymore.
“The people who are meant to keep us safe are denying an inquiry into this in Scotland. They think it stops at the border?
“There’s plenty of information over the years to say this comes to Scotland, and it’s in Scotland. I’ve been there, and I’ve lived it. I’m telling them it’s happening in Scotland.”
It is understood that the files state that police enquiries had listed Taylor as at risk of “possible sexual exploitation by a group of [redacted].
They add that staff should be alert to “strange cars or [redacted] around the unit.”
Taylor has written a harrowing letter to First Minister John Swinney about the abuse and he has agreed to meet her. He has also vowed to make a decision on a Scottish grooming gangs probe by Christmas.
At Holyrood, Swinney said the issues raised by gangs were “very complex”, but insisted the Government was giving “detailed consideration” to them.
He said he was briefed by Police Scotland and the national child sexual abuse and exploitation group about gangs earlier this week. Swinney also said he had “personally” spoken to Professor Alexis Jay, a respected expert in the field.
Swinney told MSPs “nobody is putting their head in the sand” and said there are “complexities” with how a probe would the formal Child Abuse Inquiry: “The government is giving every serious consideration to this important issue.”
Speaking to ITV, a spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We take a multi-agency approach when dealing with child sexual exploitation. Information is shared between partners, but this would not necessarily instigate an immediate investigation, as we would require the express consent of the potential victim before proceeding.
“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of child sexual exploitation to contact us, and they can be assured we will take their report seriously and they will be supported by specialist officers.”
