“儿童理应免受诱骗团伙的侵害。”伯明翰市议会承诺，将对现有的儿童保护措施进行测试并加以完善。此前，一项关于诱骗团伙的全国性调查表示将重点审查该市的相关案例。
'Children should be safe from grooming gangs' Birmingham City Council has pledged to test its safeguarding arrangements and improve support after a national inquiry into grooming gangs said it would look at cases in the city.
在由市议会联合政府共同支持的声明中，市议长罗杰·哈默指出，由于儿童保护措施存在疏漏，孩子们遭到了“伤害”。
In a statement supported by the council's coalition administration, council leader Roger Harmer said children had been "let down by failures in safeguarding".
他强调，每一个孩子都有权享有安全环境，所有施害者都必须受到法律制裁。
He said every child deserved to be safe and every perpetrator should face justice.
该全国性调查机构表示，将“深入调查诱骗团伙对儿童实施的性虐待与剥削行为，以及各儿童保护机构对此的应对举措”。
The Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs said it would "examine the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by grooming gangs and the response of organisations responsible for protecting children".
哈默称，市议会不会回避诸如种族问题在内的棘手议题，也绝不会允许儿童性剥削现象被用作挑拨社区关系的工具。
Harmer said the council would not "ignore difficult questions, including about ethnicity", nor "allow child sexual exploitation to be used to divide communities".
市议会承诺将独立评估现有的儿童保护措施，并为受害者提供更完善的援助。
The council committed to independently testing its safeguarding arrangements and developing better support for victims.
此外，市议会还表示将全力配合由国家犯罪局牵头的“灯塔行动”，共同打击历史遗留的儿童性剥削案件；同时会与警方及其他机构通力协作，确保曾遭受侵害的受害者知晓寻求帮助及举报犯罪的途径。
It said it was also supporting the National Crime Agency-led Operation Beaconport into historical CSE, and would work with police and other organisations to make sure people affected by historical abuse knew where to seek help and report crimes.
市议会还计划开展公众宣传教育活动，帮助家庭与社区识别虐待迹象并及时上报。同时将重新发布“历史相关报告”，让公众能够“亲眼看到相关证据”。
It announced plans for a public awareness campaign to help families and communities recognise signs of abuse and raise concerns. It said it would republish "historic reports" for the public to "see the evidence for themselves".
周三，伯明翰市议员获悉：今年1月至6月期间，该市共记录到99起儿童性剥削案件，而去年同期这一数字为150起。
Councillors in Birmingham heard on Wednesday that between January and June this year, 99 CSE crimes were recorded in the city. 150 were recorded during the same period last year.
据伯明翰儿童信托基金会统计，目前有超过140名儿童处于遭受或可能遭受儿童性剥削的风险之中。
More than 140 children were known to be at risk of, or experiencing, CSE, according to Birmingham Children's Trust.
该基金会的报告还显示，90.6%的受害者为女孩，年龄多在13至17岁之间。目前共有多达98起儿童性剥削案件正在调查中，其中6起疑似涉及团伙作案。
It said 90.6% of victims were girls, mainly aged between 13 and 17. Up to 98 CSE investigations were under way, according to the trust's report to the council, six of which were believed to involve groups.
哈默表示，伯明翰将全力配合全国调查，但“不会等着别人要求才采取行动”。他说：“任何站出来的人都必须得到倾听、信任和支持。”全国调查表示，必要时可将调查范围扩大至西米德兰兹其他地区。
Harmer said Birmingham would cooperate fully with the national inquiry but would "not wait to be told to act". "Anyone who comes forward must be listened to, believed and supported," he said. The national inquiry has said it could expand its investigation to the rest of the West Midlands if necessary.