Rotherham whistleblower Jayne Senior has endured countless painful conversations with me. Across many years, we have reflected on cases of brutal sexual exploitation and explored cover-ups, bullying and brutal political scheming at the expense of children battling abuse. But the first time I heard her cry was when she phoned to share the devastating news that Andrew Norfolk had died.
At the height of the crisis, Jayne passed Norfolk boxes full of key documents exposing the scandal of mass exploitation in Rotherham. When police and the council leadership of the South Yorkshire town were seeking to punish anyone who spoke out, Andrew was the lone voice that heard her and ensured the truth was revealed.
When reports of roaming sex abuse gangs made up of predominantly Pakistani men first started circulating in the 2000s, the bulk of the outrage came from the BNP, the far-right party that was soaring in the north west, and Labour MP Ann Cryer, who was derided by party grandees as a racist for sharing parents’ concerns in Keighley.
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