Police have arrested 55 men in connection with historical child sex abuse cases in West Yorkshire.
The investigation centres on allegations made by seven women of sexual abuse committed against them as children in Kirklees between 2002 and 2009.
Detective inspector Ian Thornes said that safeguarding and protecting children ‘remains the top priority for West Yorkshire Police.’
He also said that this investigation demonstrates the police’s ‘ongoing commitment’ to the investigation of both current and non-recent sexual offences against children.
‘We have teams of specialist safeguarding units across each district in West Yorkshire, which include police officers dedicated to dealing with both current and non-recent child abuse and child sexual exploitation,’ said detective inspector Thornes.
‘Tackling child abuse is not something that any one agency can do in isolation; we work closely with local authorities, other organisations and charities to support victims, bring the perpetrators to justice and make our communities safer.
‘We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or historic, to report it to the police. Please be assured that you will be listened to, taken seriously and supported by professionals with experience of dealing with these kind of offences.’
