Articles - Miscellaneous

CROP

CROP is a Leeds based organisation in the voluntary sector working to end the sexual exploitation of children and young people by pimps and traffickers. Carole, their parent support worker gave a talk to churchgoers from St Edmund's, St Andrew's and Lidgett Park Methodist churches as part of last year's ecumenical One City Project. As a result the charity was chosen for major financial support from St Edmund's - £2,500 over two years.

CROP was founded in 1996 by Irene Ivison whose 17-year-old daughter Fiona was murdered in 1993, three weeks after being coerced into working in street prostitution by a known pimp. She supported many parents in similar situations by personal contact and advice. CROP supports affected parents and young persons wishing to exit prostitution, and presses for multi-agency intervention and the effective use of legislation to target pimps.

Barnardo's evaluation was "CROP provides much needed support for families facing issues of pimping and can be seen as a benchmark organisation due to its family centred approach. CROP must also be congratulated for the way in which it has been able to raise the issue of pimping at a national level."

CROP's works with those victimized by pimps to enable them to resist and break free, to repair the damage and recover the possibilities of a secure life. It respects those close to the victims for their experience and knowledge, and regards them as partners. It forms local groups of affected parents and carers, where they can overcome isolation, share experience, learn from each other and so be empowered to work with professionals and enjoy their respect.

CROP has worked with 130 families. A significant proportion of victims, have been affected by organised pimping groups. Girls, typically in their early teens are often "recruited" in one town and taken to another. The girls often go missing, sometimes for days and weeks.

(During her presentation to us Carole had to leave her mobile phone on as she was "on-call" for two missing girls. It rang twice, on both occasions to tell her that a girl had been found, one in Birmingham, another in Wakefield. This was dramatically disturbing to the comfortable audience.)

In the cases CROP has been involved with in Yorkshire, the networks are largely composed of Pakistani men, and the families where girls have been subject to sexual exploitation and grooming have been white. On a recent national radio programme, the chair of CROP Hilary Willmer explained these facts and emphasised this was not a matter of racism but criminality.

On 2 February 2006, a meeting was convened by CROP focussing on the sexual exploitation by a third party as a police performance indicator. The meeting represented police, social services, voluntary sector and academics. The delegates identified the need for a performance indicator. CROP will be facilitating further discussion and plans of action.

David Everett

26 February, 2006