Consenting adults?

My latest File on 4 is about police and charities' concern that groomers are increasingly turning their attention to children - and adults - with learning disabilities.

In 'Targeting the vulnerable' I heard that some of the girls abused by different gangs of groomers in Peterborough had learning disabilities. One of the girls who suffered the worst abuse (although none of it is relative, it was all horrendous) was 12, but has a mental age of 6. She was told if she breathed a word she would be killed. 

Thank god she did tell a social worker. Praise is due to Cambridgeshire Police who took great care and used skilled intermediaries to help the girl give evidence in court, which resulted in justice for her and others.

But I also spoke to three women with learning disabilities, who, as adults, have faced barriers to justice. 'Hannah' was stalked and also went to police saying she'd been raped by a neighbour. There were no charges, because police said there was not enough evidence. 'Faria' says she was groomed on Facebook by a man who sent her sexual messages and tried to get him to run away with her. Again there were no charges because at 17, in the eyes of the law, 'Faria' was an adult.

And then I met 'Sarah'. She suffered two kinds of grooming, but neither man was troubled by the justice system. 'Sarah's' first experience is told here 

(Names have been changed).