Northumbria Police
Operation Sanctuary: Sex exploitation probe uncovers hidden culture of abuse
A police probe into the sexual exploitation of teenagers on Tyneside has uncovered a hidden epidemic of abuse stalking our streets
Police at one of the properties that were raided as part of Operation Sanctuary
A police probe into the sexual exploitation of teenagers on Tyneside has uncovered a hidden epidemic of abuse stalking our streets.
Northumbria Police launched Operation Sanctuary in January with a wave of arrests after receiving a report expressing concern for one girl.
But as the investigation continues detectives have discovered a widespread problem of vulnerable women and girls being abused by predatory men.
Operation Sanctuary has now been broadened to include all incidents of females being sexually assaulted after being targeted because of their vulnerability.
A dedicated team of detectives has been charged with identifying potential victims and bringing their abusers to book.
So far 67 people have been arrested and officers have identified around 80 potential victims.
But Northumbria Police's Deputy Chief Constable, Steve Ashman, told the Chronicle those figures are likely to rise as detectives learn more about a secret culture of abuse that is blighting Tyneside communities.
He said: "We have made 67 arrests, nine people have been charged and we have identified 80 women and girls we need to speak to. Sadly I think that 80 will grow.
"This investigation has broadened considerably since it was first launched at the start of the year. The amount of information coming in has been staggering.
"But what binds all these victims together is that they are vulnerable. That could be because they are drunk, or it could be because they are homeless, have learning difficulties, or have a drug addiction. This has been a very difficult investigation so far, but I think we have got to grips with it."
In the early stages of Operation Sanctuary was looking into a number of "conspiracies" between linked suspects and potential victims.
Detectives are probing situations in which predatory men have befriended vulnerable girls and women and started relationships with them, before taking advantage of them and passing them around other men to be sexually abused.
However, officers have since uncovered a culture of predatory behaviour of individual men targeting individual women, often because they are drunk, with incidents of men posing as taxi drivers to pick up drunken women.
Deputy Chief Constable of Northumbria Police Steve Ashman talks about Operation Sanctuary
"There are elements of men sharing women between them. Some will approach a vulnerable young woman and over a period of time they will end up in a relationship. They will become boyfriend and girlfriend. But we would say it was an abusive relationship. And she might then be taken to a party, abused and passed between other men." Mr Ashman explained. "But that's only one part of this.
"We have also had two cases where males have purported to be taxi drivers. They have rocked up in a vehicle and these women were drunk and not in a position to look after themselves. They were not vulnerable for any reasons other than they had had to much to drink.
"There will be a sizeable number of those arrested that know each other, but others will not. The one common factor is the vulnerability of the victim."
DCC Ashman said the force was now aiming to make Operation Sanctuary a recognisable 'brand' to raise awareness of this type of crime and encourage people to report it.
He said the public are already playing a vital role in the investigation.
"There have been some great examples of public support," he explained. "For example, hotel receptionists refusing to allow men to check in with young women that are intoxicated and reporting it to us, and that's exactly the response we want. We have also had a member of the public reporting to us that they saw a drunk woman getting into a vehicle that did not look like a taxi. We were able to get to the scene in time and that driver was arrested and charged.
"I would urge the public to keep this up and tell us if you see something that just doesn't look right. If we can create a brand the public have confidence in and that's no bad thing."
Police are currently half way through speaking to the 80 females they need to talk to.
But Operation Sanctuary is expected to continue long into the future.