Ten men arrested over historical child sex abuse allegations in Bradford

Ten men have been arrested over historical sexual abuse allegations in Bradford.

The men, aged 49-71, were arrested in residences across the city.

The allegations relate to crimes allegedly committed in the city between 1994 and 1997 against six victims who were aged 13 to 15 at the time.

Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Greenbank of Bradford District Police said: "Safeguarding and protecting children remains the top priority for West Yorkshire Police.

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"This investigation demonstrates the force's ongoing commitment to the investigation of both current and non-recent sexual offences against children.

"I would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, whether recent or non-recent, to report it to the police."

Earlier this year, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced hundreds of historic child sex abuse cases could be reopened after police forces carried out reviews ordered to tackle grooming gangs.

Some 287 closed cases have been identified so far by police to be looked at again by a national task force on child sexual exploitation, Yvette Cooper told a committee of MPs in June.

In January, the Home Secretary urged chief constables in England and Wales to reopen cold case investigations, as she also announced a rapid review by Baroness Casey to look at the nature and scale of gang-based exploitation across the country.

Ms Cooper has also vowed for at least five local inquiries to take place, including in Oldham, Greater Manchester where work is “underway already”.

The series of announcements to tackle child grooming gangs came as the Government faced pressure over the issue, including criticism from billionaire X owner Elon Musk.

The move comes after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), led by Professor Alexis Jay, found institutional failings and tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales.

The seven-year probe made 20 recommendations in the final report published in 2022, as it described child sexual abuse as an “epidemic” across the two nations.

The Government had knocked back calls for a national review in favour of locally led inquiries, saying it was focused on implementing recommendations from Prof Jay’s report.