'No substance' in Govanhill child exploitation claims

Social media allegations about child sexual exploitation in Govanhill have “no substance”, a local police chief has said.

Claims about the South Side neighbourhood were widely shared last month but Chief Inspector Janie Thomson-Goldie, area commander for Greater Glasgow South East, revealed “nobody has come forward” with information.

She told the council’s Southside Central area partnership that officers from various Police Scotland departments have been working in Govanhill to “ascertain if there was any truth” to the live streams.

The man behind the viral videos has been questioned regarding a different matter, the chief inspector said.

“There has been nothing at all,” she added. “No one has come forward and people have to come forward to ourselves.

“There’s no point standing chatting about it, if you see something please come forward, report it to ourselves or any of our partners.”

A minimum of four officers per shift have been patrolling the area.

“We have spoken with the gentleman,” CI Thomson-Goldie said. “He came forward with no information other than what he alleged on the live streaming.

“Any information he gave, we would have went to the individuals’ homes to question them with regards to that. There was nothing at all, there was no substance.

“We have got what we call intel officers within the area, just linking in with various groups.

“We do have a lot of people out there who make a living off Facebook, Twitter and all these different things.

“There’s been nothing at all to substantiate all the allegations that he made across that course of nine or ten different video clips.”

Councillor Mhairi Hunter, who had asked for an update on the allegations, said: “I think that’s what we all suspected but obviously you’ve got to always take these things very, very seriously.”

The chief inspector said she would get back to the partnership if the situation changed.

Detective Superintendent Donna Duffy, head of Public Protection in Greater Glasgow Division, said: "Child sexual exploitation is a constant threat, not just in Glasgow but in communities across Scotland. In Glasgow, we have developed strong child protection partnerships with a range of agencies, to help us identify children who may be at risk and to allow us put in place support to prevent vulnerable children being exploited.

"We can confirm that at this time we have received no information or intelligence that suggests children in Govanhill are being exploited. Nor are there any ongoing investigations. Our local policing teams are engaging with various partners in the Govanhill area on a daily basis. We continue to engage with partners to ensure children and young people across Glasgow are protected.

"Reports that children may be at risk are treated very seriously. If you or anyone you know has information concerning the safety of any child in Glasgow then please contact the police or the social work department and the matter will be thoroughly investigated. All such investigations are dealt with sensitively and involve a full multi agency response, and safety planning for any victims identified."

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