A MUM whose daughter was abused by the Bullfinch gang said her child is still suffering the effects of her ordeal.
The woman spoke after the first episode of a harrowing BBC drama, which documented the sex abuse in Rochdale and failure of authorities to expose it.
Viewers noted the Three Girls programme, which aired in two parts on Tuesday night and again last night, drew parallels with other child sex rings including the Bullfinch scandal in Oxford.
The mum of Girl 5, who was subjected to underage sex at just 13, said it was positive that such programmes opened up conversation about exploitation. But she stressed people should also recognise long-term implications of abuse.
She said: “My daughter is now coming up to 21-years-old. She has hit rock bottom. She’s walking the streets, she’s taking drugs, she’s about eight stone - and it’s all to do with the abuse; the mental and physical impacts. The social services let her down, to the maximum.
“It’s about what happens now - life continues. Those men are getting on in prison getting three meals a day while she is trying to deal with the abuse and the story of her life.
“Just because she’s turned into an adult doesn’t mean it goes away.”
Operation Bullfinch led to seven men being jailed for a total of at least 95 years for raping and abusing six girls in the city.
In 2015 a Serious Case Review into the sexual abuse identified by Bullfinch revealed shocking failings in the organisations that were supposed to be protecting Oxford’s children, including social services.
Oxfordshire County Council tweeted about Three Girls yesterday, urging anyone concerned about child sexual exploitation in the county to contact its ‘Kingfisher’ team.
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