Foleshill park to be subject of protection order

[dutchman]

Children are being put at risk by anti-social behaviour in a Coventry park, police and council officials say.



Residents have expressed concerns over drug-taking, excessive alcohol and groups of men hanging around Edgwick Park in Foleshill, with a local school also reporting incidents.

Two girls also said they were raped in June last year after meeting men in the park, which led to a police inquiry.

A public space protection order is now planned for the park.

The order would last for three years, and would prohibit groups of two or more people from congregating in the area around the park where their behaviour "has or is likely to have a detrimental effect" on residents' lives.

Ed Ruane, cabinet member for children and young people at Coventry City Council - which is consulting on introducing the order - said they were working with residents and police on the concerns raised.

Sgt Asa Morris, Foleshill neighbourhood team supervisor, said patrols had increased since June 2015, with officers developing their knowledge about potentially vulnerable young people using the park in a bid to prevent incidents.

Jayne McHale, headteacher at Edgewick Community Primary School, said pupils had been affected by numerous problems stemming from the neighbouring park.

"Many parents report that they do not feel safe coming through the park, or allowing their children to play there," she said.

[dutchman]

Shock report: Paedophiles plying girls with drink and drugs in Coventry park



A Coventry park is being used by paedophiles to target vulnerable youngsters after two young girls reported being raped, it has emerged.

Shocking evidence has been uncovered that children visiting Edgwick Park, in Foleshill, are being plied with drugs and alcohol by older men who then engage the youngsters in sexual activity.

It is understood some of the sexual predators have even attempted to attack children in the park itself.

A joint report by Coventry City Council and West Midlands Police says concerns about the behaviour in the park were triggered when the two young girls reported being raped after meeting men in the park.

The report reads: “Edgwick Park has been identified as a location within the city wherein activity linked to child sexual exploitation is taking place.

“Intelligence indicates that young people (in the main young females) are coming to the park to access alcohol and controlled substances, provided to them by older males.

“The men are then engaging in or attempting to engage in sexual activity with these young people whilst in the park or taking them to other locations within Coventry.

“In June 2015, two young girls reported being raped at an address in north Coventry, after having met males in this park.

"This incident became the trigger of a significant amount of multi-agency work, aimed at the early identification and diversion of vulnerable young people using the park, as well as to create a hostile environment within which offenders or potential offenders can operate.”

Coventry City Council and West Midlands Police have now taken action to prevent paedophiles using the park to groom potential victims.

They plan to introduce a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which will allow police to break up or approach groups of two or more people if they feel there is cause for concern.

The council is now holding a public consultation into the plans which will run until March 29.

Insp Hasson Shigdar, from West Midlands Police, said: “We have concerns about some behaviour in the park and are very keen to see an order covering Edgwick Park.

“An order will mean that the police and other authorities have extra powers to approach groups of people where there are concerns.

“We will only be using the order where we observe activities that have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of local people. This includes cases of child sexual exploitation.

“We know that the vast majority of people are responsible park users and we do not intend to restrict their enjoyment of the park.”

[dutchman]

Pair arrested over alleged Foleshill rapes which sparked paedophile report

Two men have been arrested in connection with the alleged rapes of two young girls in a Coventry park.

The allegations from the girls, which were made in June last year, sparked an investigation by Coventry council and West Midlands Police which led to Edgwick Park being named as a hotspot for paedophiles.

And police have now revealed that two men, aged 21 and 23, were arrested on suspicion of rape in connection with the alleged attacks on the young girls in June 2015.

They are both currently on bail pending further enquiries, however West Midlands Police were unable to say when the pair were arrested.

The shocking news led to a woman who used to live in Foleshill contacting the Telegraph to tell of her experiences in Edgwick Park as a youngster.

She said the problems with sexual predators in the area had existed for decades and she and her friends reported incidents to the police on numerous occasions.

However, she says they were told to “ignore it” and she and her family eventually moved away as the problems were so bad.

The woman, now in her 40s, said: “When I was living in Foleshill as a child, you could not walk down the road or visit the park without men coming up and asking you to have sex with them.

“Me and my friends couldn’t visit the park because of what is still going on in there today, it’s been going on for years in Foleshill.”

[dutchman]

Burges and Swanswell Park among ten areas where paedophiles are feared to be targeting children



Further locations where paedophiles are believed to be praying on youngsters in the city have come to light - including The Burges and Swanswell Park.

Just days after we exposed evidence that young girls were being plied with alcohol and drugs by older men in Foleshill’s Edgwick Park, the Telegraph has learned of at least nine other locations which are being closely monitored by police and Coventry City Council.

Officials are concerned that older men are grooming youngsters in an attempt to engage them in sexual activity at three other parks - including Swanswell Park, in Hillfields - two hotels, two bars and one house.

There are also fears that sexual predators are operating in The Burges area of the city centre and have previously targeted a youth club.

Coun Ed Ruane, the council’s cabinet for children, revealed the locations which have been flagged up as areas where paedophiles are believed to be targeting youngsters for child sexual exploitation.

He said: “There are three other parks in the city we have concerns over, as well as two hotels, two bars and one house. There are various other hotspots across the city - including some private businesses.”

He added: “It’s not just parks, it’s clubs and bars. A while ago there was a group of men targeting a youth club in Hillfields.”

Coun Ruane said that he was not in a position to name the private businesses at this stage but did add that one area of concern was The Burges.

But Coun Ruane said there were no plans to introduce similar orders elsewhere at this stage.

He said: “It’s not on the same level as Edgwick Park at other locations in terms of the numbers involved, or the numbers of young girls we have been picking up there. They have been patrolling Edgwick Park daily for the past two years.

“We’re aware that since the disruptive measures have been taken at Edgwick Park, there’s a possibility the activity might move onto these other areas.”

He added: “At Swanswell Park in the day you could walk past a prostitute, a pimp and a drug dealer while there are kids playing in the park. It’s not exactly hidden.

“The type of work going on in places like that is police led and around disruption.

“Introducing a PSPO here isn’t something that has come up, that’s a recommendation that should come from the police.

“I think the Edgwick Park order is a trial to see how they work.”

The council recently spent a fortune on cosmetic changes to Swanswell Park without doing a thing to increase security there. I won't walk through it after dark.

[rebbonk]

All that's happening is the local authorities are driving the problem further underground. Heads have been buried in the sand for far too long. Despite the locations mentioned, this is not just an issue with one segment of society, it runs through many and goes right to the very heart of the establishment.

[dutchman]

Police crackdown on anti-social behaviour at a notorious Coventry park



Police and council officials say they are cracking down on anti-social behaviour at a notorious Coventry park.

Officers were recently granted powers to disperse groups of two or more people causing a nuisance at Edgwick Park, in Foleshill.

The public space protection orders (PSPO) were introduced in April amid concerns sexual predators were grooming young children with drugs and alcohol.

A total of nine people have now been moved on, but West Midlands Police say that was in relation to anti-social behaviour rather than child sexual exploitation.

If people refuse to move, they can be issued with fixed penalty notices.

A city council spokesperson said: “We haven’t needed to issue fixed penalty fines under the public space protection order because people in the park have co-operated when asked to disperse by the police.

“West Midlands Police confirmed that nine people have been asked to leave the park in relation to anti-social behaviour since the introduction of the PSPO.”

The creation of the PSPO came after a joint investigation by West Midlands Police and the city council revealed a number of incidents in Edgwick Park with older men offering drugs and booze to youngsters.

The PSPO was approved by the council’s cabinet member for culture, leisure, sports and parks, Coun Abdul Khan, at the end of April.

Anyone who breaks the order will be fined £100, which can be reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

If fixed penalties are not paid, the police can then move to prosecute offenders through the court system.

[dutchman]

Two men accused of raping girls they met at Foleshill park released without charge

Two men arrested on suspicion of raping two teenage girls they met at a Coventry park have been released without charge.

The news comes nearly two years after the alleged attacks in June 2015 which the girls say happened after they met the men at Edgwick Park, in Foleshill.

The men, aged 24 and 22, were bailed a number of times while officers carried out their investigations and West Midlands Police now say there is “insufficient evidence to support a charge”.

A spokesman for the force said: “Officers from the force’s public protection unit conducted a detailed and challenging investigation into an allegation that two 14-year-old girls had been sexually assaulted in June 2015 in Coventry.

“CCTV in the local area was examined, evidence passed to forensic experts for analysis and the girls offered support by specialist officers.

“However, following consultation with CPS there was insufficient evidence to support a charge and the two men aged 22 and 24 have now been released from police bail.”

West Midlands Police launched an investigation following the girls’ claims which unearthed a number of incidents at Edgwick Park which saw older men offering drugs and booze to youngsters, before trying to engage them in sexual behaviour.

So was this a witch-hunt or a cover-up?

[Melisandre]

To my knowledge and experience of a rape case from the police back in the mid 70s an examination of sperm from the man has to be present to prove rape if the girls bathed after prior to being examined then all traces would be gone and void.

[rebbonk]

Police now say there is “insufficient evidence to support a charge”

I thought it was up to CPS to decide?