MEASURES to stamp out sexual exploitation of vulnerable people in Scotland's capital will come under scrutiny this week.
Edinburgh City Council has drawn up a commitment to tackle sexual exploitation in the wake of the scandal over how the issue was mishandled by agencies in Rotherham, England.
The draft multi-agency policy is a set of guidelines and principles agreed by the Council, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland and the voluntary sector to stop abuse from taking place, support victims and to manage perpetrators in the capital.
Members of the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee will be asked to approve the document, which is outlined in this report, when it meets tomorrow.
The principles detailed in the draft policy will then be used to inform the joint sexual exploitation action plans being drawn up by local partner agencies.
Councillor Andrew Burns, Corporate Policy and Strategy Convener, said: "The draft policy is based on the shared belief that sexual exploitation of vulnerable people of all ages is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
"Protecting vulnerable children and adults and keeping them safe from harm is a Council priority. And it is thus crucially important that we make sure all agencies work closely to prevent exploitation, manage the perpetrators, and support and protect victims."
Widespread organised child sexual abuse took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013, involving girls as young as 12.
An independent conservatively estimated that 1,400 children had been sexually abused in the town over the 16-year period, predominantly by gangs of British-Pakistani men of Muslim faith. Abuses described by the report included abduction, rape, torture and sex trafficking of children.
Despite investigations dating back to the 1990s, Rotherham Borough Council and South Yorkshire Police failed to uncover the extent of the sex crimes being committed or take any action against the perpetrators.
Home Secretary Theresa May blamed the authorities inertia on "institutionalised political correctness".
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