South Yorkshire Pcc Shaun Wright Finally Resigns in the Wake of the Rotherham Child Sex Abuse Scandal

By Martin Evans
The Telegraph
September 16, 2014

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11098786/South-Yorkshire-PCC-Shaun-Wright-finally-resigns-in-the-wake-of-the-Rotherham-child-sex-abuse-scandal.html

Shaun Wright has resigned from his post as Police and Crime Commissioner of South Yorkshire Photo: 2014 Getty Images

Shaun Wright, the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, has resigned in the wake of the Rotherham child sex exploitation scandal.

Mr Wright had come under increasing pressure following the publication of Professor Alexis Jay's report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. He was the councillor with responsibility for children's services in the borough from 2005 to 2010.

But he initially resisted calls to resign including from the Prime Minister, Home Secretary and the Labour party, which eventually expelled him.

But in a statement released today by his office, Mr Wright resigned, saying: "My role as South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner has clearly become prominent in terms of public opinion and media coverage following the publication of Professor Alexis Jay's report.

"This is detracting from the important issue, which should be everybody's focus – the 1,400 victims outlined in the report – and in providing support to victims and bringing to justice the criminals responsible for the atrocious crimes committed against them.

"With this in mind, I feel that it is now right to step down from the position of police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire, for the sake of those victims, for the sake of the public of South Yorkshire and to ensure that the important issues outlined in the report about tackling child sexual exploitation can be discussed and considered in full and without distraction."

Mr Wright faced angry scenes when appeared in public before the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel (PCP) last week.

Family members of some of the alleged victims shouted abuse at him from the public gallery and the meeting had to be stopped several times which oversees his work, as alleged victims of abuse shouted at him from the public gallery.

The PCP passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Wright and endorsed calls for a change in the law to enable him to be sacked.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has also said there is a debate to be had about introducing powers to recall PCCs who have lost the confidence of their constituents.

Professor Jay's report revealed that around 1,400 children had been sexually exploited in Rotherham over a 16-year period, predominantly by men from the Pakistani community.

The report also condemned "blatant" collective failures by the council's leadership.

She found examples of "children who had been doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, threatened with guns, made to witness brutally-violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they told anyone".

Mr Wright's resignation will trigger a by-election for the vacant Police and Crime Commissioner post, the date of which is yet to be determined.