HEREFORDSHIRE Council’s deputy leader has come under pressure for not calling an immediate review into all cases of peer on peer sexual assaults at county schools.

The Hereford Times reported last month that schoolchildren who are sexually assaulted by their peers are at risk of being left in the same school as their attackers.

Since the report, which told of how two county students have been affected, the Hereford Times has been made aware of another two cases at different schools.

However, children and families cabinet member Felicity Norman would not commit to an immediate review of all cases, despite calls from the public.

“Four months after the alarm was raised no remedial action has been taken to revisit cases referred to multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) officers to ensure all the child victims of peer on peer sexual assault are now safe,” a member of the public said.

“My question is to Councillor Norman.

“Why have you not initiated an immediate review of all cases of peer-on-peer sexual assault which have come to the MASH team to ensure that no child is at risk of harm today from the delay in rectifying inadequate and unlawful safeguarding?”

Coun Norman said she apologised on behalf of the council. “We have investigated our practices in relation to peer on peer abuse and it has come apparent that officers made an error of judgement in recommending the best course of action.”

“The question has not been addressed,” the member of the public replied.

“The question is whether an immediate review is taken now to protect children who have already been harmed by mistakes, and who today may be in school with the person who sexually assaulted them. This is a live safeguarding risk.”

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