Child sexual abuse probe 'obstructed' by asylum hotel staff

Staff astatine a edifice for asylum seekers obstructed a constabulary probe into a study that a antheral masturbated successful beforehand of a seven-year-old child, the BBC has been told.

Officers were blocked from entering the eastbound London edifice and unit delayed providing CCTV - which was aboriginal automatically deleted, it is claimed.

The supplier - Clearsprings - says it has robust safeguarding processes.

The BBC has besides learned of a reported unrelated enactment battle successful different hotel.

Families of asylum seekers are often housed successful the aforesaid buildings arsenic azygous men who are besides waiting for their applications to beryllium processed.

The BBC has been told that connected 30 June 2023 a seven-year-old miss and her parent were reported to person witnessed a 34-year-old antheral intentionally masturbating successful their presence.

It is claimed that unit and information obstructed the constabulary probe erstwhile officers visited the edifice astir 3 weeks aft the incident.

The edifice is tally by Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has a 10-year declaration to negociate asylum seeker accommodation successful England and Wales.

The BBC has been told that unit refused to supply their ain names and told officers they had nary rights to participate the edifice without a warrant.

It is besides claimed that unit initially blocked officers from entering the gathering and refused to supply the sanction of the fishy - which was chartless to the constabulary astatine that constituent - and CCTV was besides not provided to officers upon request.

When the constabulary were provided with entree to footage that whitethorn person been applicable - much than a fortnight aft the incidental - it had been automatically deleted.

The Metropolitan Police says a antheral has been charged with outraging nationalist decency and engaging successful intersexual enactment successful the beingness of a child.

It said that officers attended the edifice aft a study of a antheral having exposed himself but the alleged unfortunate did not initially privation to enactment immoderate prosecution.

It added that erstwhile officers returned 2 days aboriginal and spoke to the alleged unfortunate and her family, they agreed to supply a statement.

In 2022, successful an unrelated incident, a teenage lad was reported to person been raped by a antheral successful his 30s astatine a antithetic edifice for asylum seekers successful eastbound London tally by the aforesaid company, Clearsprings Ready Homes.

The BBC has besides learned that a antheral was sexually assaulted astatine different edifice for asylum seekers successful Staffordshire successful December 2022.

The section authorization declined to supply the person's property oregon the sanction of the provider.

The UK present houses astir 47,000 asylum seekers successful hotels portion it processes their applications, astatine a outgo of astir £2bn a year. Hotels typically person information guards connected site.

The Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, says she has repeatedly raised concerns with the Home Office astir specified accommodation.

"All children, whether they are with their parents oregon not, should beryllium surviving successful places wherever they are safe, protected from harm, and are capable to thrive", a spokesperson for the commissioner said.

"We person spoken to excessively galore children and families wherever that is not happening - this indispensable change."

The Home Office declined to accidental what vetting and compliance checks are made of safeguarding arrangements astatine hotels. It said it would beryllium inappropriate to remark connected an ongoing constabulary investigation.

Clearsprings Ready Homes declined to accidental erstwhile it had archetypal been made alert of the alleged incidental and wouldn't remark connected the behaviour of its staff.

In a connection it said: "For evident reasons we cannot remark connected immoderate ongoing investigations but tin corroborate that we person a robust safeguarding process successful spot and immoderate issues arising are dealt with promptly by our experienced team."

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