Child victims of Asian grooming gang dismissed because they lived in 'nice homes'

The 20-man gang in Huddersfield were jailed for a total of more than 250 years. Photo / Supplied

Middle class victims of Britain's largest Asian child sex ring were ignored for "not being poor enough" when social workers visited their 'nice' homes, claims charity chief.

Parents Against Child Explotation (Pace) have revealed that they believe the children were let down by social workers who thought that the children from wealthier families were "rebelling", reports the Express.

Labour MP Barry Sheerman said the people believed the children involved in the case were from tough backgrounds and in care, but in reality a lot of the families were "middle class".

The abuse of young girls by Asian men in the Huddersfield area was first alerted by Pace in 2000, which led Mr Sheerman to encourage Parliament to take the issue more seriously, reports Daily Mail.

Pace chief executive Gill Gibbons said that the system which protects children is "unfit for purpose", after Ofsted slammed Kirkless Council children's services last year for not "improving quick enough".

During a meeting in Parliament in 2009 Mr Sheerman revealed that a few of his constituents have had daughters as young as 12 forced into "sexual manipulation" and "prosecution".

Pace chief executive Gill Gibbons said that the system which protects children is "unfit for purpose". Photo / Twitter

Mr Sheerman added that these men would groom young girls before beginning a sexual relationship with them and then "passing her onto a wider wider circle of men".

Since then 20 men have been convicted of the abuse, having received a total of 257 years in prison between them.

Ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 35, was jailed for life earlier this year and told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison by a judge who said: "Your treatment of these girls was inhuman."

Ms Gibbons told the Express: "The system isn't fit for purpose. That was the case with the historic Huddersfield victims and that is still the case now.

Labour MP Barry Sheerman alerted Parliament to the sex gang. Photo / Getty Images

"A social worker visited a family and commented on what a 'nice kitchen' they had and on their loft conversion," due to their comfortable circumstance they were seen as undeserving of the assistance of social services.

Police said that further understanding of sex gangs has meant that red flags can be spotted and addressed at an early stage.

Steven Walker, Director of Kirkless children's services, demanded that protecting children has to be their "priority".

But former council leader between 2000 and 2006, Kath Pinnock, insisted that nobody raised the issue and believes it would have been dealt with if they had.