Mum of victim of modern slavery says he has been ‘failed’ by local authorities
The mother of a victim of trafficking and modern slavery has accused her local authority and the police of “failing” to safeguard him properly.
The woman and her 22-year-old son, J, live in Southwark, and legally they cannot be identified.
J went missing when he was 16 for three weeks in 2017 and was found by police in Northamptonshire.
He was arrested and convicted of possession with intent to sell class A drugs and was given a referral order by the court for 12 months.
Southwark police referred the case to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in September 2017 – the gateway framework to support for victims of modern slavery.
The NRM recognised J as a victim of modern slavery and trafficking. But, J’s mother claims everything “ended there”.
In January 2018, a Southwark councillor referred J’s case for a review to the Southwark Safeguarding Children’s Board to see if mistakes were made in his case that could be improved for when the council deals with future victims.
But the board unanimously rejected the review saying they did not think anything could be learned from the review.
Just months later J was stabbed outside his house by two masked men.
J’s mother said: “I remember the day I got a phone call from my daughter, I nearly collapsed. I had told the council this would happen.”
On April 17, the council’s Youth Offending Team held a risk management meeting for J’s case which recognised that he “may be stabbed again”, “may offend again and receive a higher sentence” or her “may carry a knife for protection”.
J’s mother said: “We had two social workers assigned to T but he didn’t want to talk. They both dropped the case saying they couldn’t help if he wouldn’t engage.
“They seemed out of their depth.”
Soon after the stabbing, J went to his GP in Walworth for support with his mental health.
J’s mother said: “They told him he wasn’t helping himself by staying inside.
“It was appalling, clearly there had been no communication from the police or the council to tell the GP that J was a victim of modern slavery.”
In July 2020, a different GP service referred J’s case to Southwark Assessment and Liaison Team but his case was rejected on grounds that there was “no acute risk highlighted.”
Now, J’s mother said he has become a “recluse” and has “barely left the house” since 2018. She also said he has threatened to take his own life.
She said: “J used to be happy and carefree, he was told he could go to the top in sport and had ambitions.”
In 2018, the Met recognised 2,346 people as victims of modern slavery, compared with 187 in 2013, according to government data.
A spokeswoman from the Met police said: “J was referred to partner agencies who supported him and his family, and the NRM, and efforts were made to engage with him to progress the modern slavery investigation.
“Whilst a significant amount of support and safeguarding was provided to J and his family in 2017 and 2018 the Met is not currently involved in any safeguarding measures for J.”
A spokeswoman from Southwark council said: “I can confirm that the matter was thoroughly and independently investigated and all professionals involved have acted in a way which has been found to be appropriate and in accordance with good practice.”
(Picture: Simon Lesley/Flickr)
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