Detective Superintendent Steve Barron

1. Detective Superintendent Steve Barron

2. What was Operation Sanctuary • Why did we start Operation Sanctuary • How did we structure the operation • What was Operation Shelter • What did the exploitation in Operation Shelter look like • Some of our Results • Some Learning

3. What was Operation Sanctuary Operation Sanctuary was a Northumbria Police led investigation which focussed on allegations of sexual violence against vulnerable victims and allegations of modern slavery and trafficking. These victims exhibited vulnerability in a number of ways, however, sexual exploitation (of Children and Adults) was a common theme. Operation Sanctuary was more than simply the coming together of an investigation team, the ‘Sanctuary ethos’ has resulted in a change of attitude, behaviour and focus for all Northumbria Police staff. The Sanctuary response is now part of our everyday business . There were multiple investigations that sat under the umbrella of Operation Sanctuary. All of these operations were linked in that they focused on safeguarding vulnerable victims and prosecuting and disrupting perpetrators. In addition to investigations into sexual offending, slavery and trafficking, Operation Sanctuary used disruption tactics which involved using partner agency powers and the effective use of covert policing tactics to disrupt offenders behaviour and prosecute offenders where appropriate, for ‘other criminality’.

4. The Origins of Operation Sanctuary

5. The Structure of Operation Sanctuary Given it’s magnitude and importance Operation Sanctuary was given Gold oversight, governance and leadership for the first 12 months. This oversight involved partnership representation at a senior level. Early recognition of the potential communities involved in Sanctuary investigations prompted a comprehensive community engagement and media response to reassure and inform these communities. Sanctuary developed effective Social Care and Third Sector Partnerships to support and safeguard victims. This has included, for example, collocation of resources and multi agency training events. Northumbria Police took the lead in a huge awareness campaign designed to mobilise members of the public to help in safeguarding vulnerable people. A dedicated operational team, which was and continues to be supported by significant partnership resources from six local authorities, third sector partners and other enforcement organisations, delivers victim support, perpetrator disruption activity, investigation and prosecution.

6. Operation Shelter Operation Shelter is the most significant operation under the Sanctuary umbrella to date. Operation Shelter investigated the criminality of in excess of 25 suspects who were responsible for serious sexual violence against Children and vulnerable Adults in the west and east end of Newcastle. The dedicated victim team engaged with more than 100 potential complainants and were able to secure evidence from more than 20 young people who had either been victims of trafficking, sexual violence or had witnessed this type of criminality. Primarily within Operation Shelter the perpetrators used the ‘boyfriend model’ of sexual exploitation, however, in the wider operation we also investigated some significant examples of the ‘inappropriate relationship model’.

7. The Casey Report “The consequences of CSE are appalling. Victims suffer from suicidal feelings and often self-harm. Many become pregnant. Some have to manage the emotional consequences of miscarriages and abortions while others have children that they are unable to parent appropriately. The abuse and violence continues to affect victims into adulthood…. Victims who bravely spoke to Inspectors alerted us to the irrevocable harm that has been caused. They still carry what happened to them and are still suffering trauma. In many of the historic cases we reviewed, girls had ended up having babies at a very young age, some made pregnant by a perpetrator of CSE…Many of their own children were taken into care or were the subject of child protection measures. Many victims entered violent and exploitative relationships as adults. Many suffered poor mental health and addiction”

8. The Operation Shelter Prosecution

9. A Disruption Case Study A male subject was arrested for rape in January 2014 but later released without action due to lack of evidence to secure a conviction. This subject was identified with Immigration as being potentially removable for the UK but was claiming a right to stay under Article 8 – the right to a private and family life in relation to his daughter. Monitoring of the subject by the Police continued which highlighted a domestic incident involving his partner and child where it was clear that the subject posed a risk to his child. Social Services determined that it was inappropriate for the subject to have any further contact with his child. A formal statement from the IRO was obtained to confirm this position. Police acted as a conduit for information sharing between Social Services and the UKBA with the above information which undermined the subjects Article 8 application and as a result he was removed from the UK.

10. A Prosecution Case Study Arkan Hosen had a significant history of involvement in Child Sexual Exploitation, however, no successful prosecutions had been brought. In 2013 a looked after child committed suicide, intelligence indicated that she had been a victim of sexual exploitation with Hosen being the main perpetrator. Hosen was subject to a covert operation which identified his involvement in drug supply. The operation resulted in charges for conspiracy to supply drugs and possession of a firearm. Hosen was convicted and imprisoned, thereafter his known victims were re-visited and a significant number of serious sexual assault allegations were made. The prosecutions that followed resulted in a number of guilty pleas and an overall sentence of 26 ½ years imprisonment. 26.5 years

11. A Prosecution Case Study Bahmani Ahmadi was subject to a Covert Internet Investigation after being identified as a potential perpetrator by surveillance activity. This surveillance activity linked him to a facilitator and a vulnerable adult victim of sexual exploitation. He was subsequently charged with attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. The subsequent investigation required engagement with in excess of 200 Children, some as young as 11 years. Ahmadi was later charged with 26 offences against children ranging from 10-17 years old, including penetrative sexual activity with a child, sexual assault, trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and inciting sexual activity with a child. Ahmadi appeared on 21st May 2015 at Newcastle Crown Court where he entered 17 guilty pleas. He was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison with a 2 ½ year extended licence. 6.5 years

12. A Prosecution Case Study Majid Bairami came to notice of Operation Sanctuary in 2015 as an associate of a number of subjects against whom allegations had been made. Bairami had been convicted of a knife point rape in Derby in 2014 where he was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment. It quickly became apparent that Bairami was a serial sex offender with a number of young women making serious allegations against him after they were traced by the Operation Sanctuary victim team. Bairami was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court on 17.03.17 of three further rape offences. He was subsequently sentenced on 24.04.17 at Newcastle Crown Court to an extended sentence of 18 years 10 months to run consecutively to the remainder of his nine year sentence. 24 years

13. Operation Wren Convictions Operation Wren identified a historic picture of sexual abuse within the west end of Newcastle involving Iranian and Iraqi men, grooming school girls who they had typically met in the centre of Newcastle. The Operation involved evidence from six adult victims. The victims were in their early to mid 20s when they gave their evidence but were all Children at the time of the offending, aged between 13 years and 17 years. This was the first time within Operation Sanctuary that we had seen sexual exploitation without the involvement of vulnerable adults as victims. The offenders were convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual activity with Children, trafficking and drug supply. 6 years 9.5 years 4.5 years 12.5 years

14. Operation Shelter Convictions 12 years 29 years 4 years 15 years 29 years 4.5 years 6 years 9.5 years 8 years 7 years 12 years 12.5 years 12 years 10 years 4.5 years 12.5 years 20 years 4 years 5 years 11.5 years 1.5 years 6.5 years

15. Some Learning • A safeguarding mind set rather than an evidential mind set is essential. • Operations can be single agency led but must be holistic in their safeguarding approach. • Covert policing tactics can be applied to perpetrators of sexual exploitation. • Collocated, multi agency working with victims is essential and where possible bespoke premises should be used. • The concept of a ‘trusted professional’ works well with victims. • Perpetrator disruption is an effective safeguarding tool and is delivered best by genuine partnership relationships.

16. Thank you