EXCLUSIVE: South Yorkshire Police support 'Sammy's Law'

Hallam can exclusively reveal South Yorkshire Police are backing a Rotherham abuse survivor's campaign to change the law.

Sammy Woodhouse is calling for grooming victims to have their records wiped clean - for crimes committed while under the control of their abusers.

She's one of 1400 children abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 and still has a criminal record for crimes she was made to commit by those who were grooming her.

Now South Yorkshire's Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner have sent her a joint letter - exclusively seen by Hallam - throwing their support behind the idea of 'Sammy's Law'.

The letter says:

"We would both like to commend you for the dedication and commitment you continue to display by sharing and reliving your own personal experience in order to raise awareness for others.

"It goes without saying that you have been through a harrowing experience which has had a huge impact on your life in many ways. We believe that the concept of 'Sammy's Law' would provide vital reassurance to victims and survivors that the abuse they suffered in the past will not continue to impact their future."

Sammy launched the campaign back in March - shortly after going public with her true identity, after waiving her right to anonymity.

Sammy is hoping this backing will give the campaign a real boost:

"We need to keep having that platform, keep getting the public to talk about it and putting pressure on. I'm hoping that - because the Chief Constable has come forward - that other people are also going to come forward and say we believe in this as well

"There are thousands of children who are being groomed to commit crime. I think that as a country we don't recognise that it's an issue. There are children actually being charged for committing offences they were groomed to do. It's preventing us from coming forward and reporting that abuse and it's also preventing us from moving forward."

Sammy's now pushing for a meeting with the Home Secretary Amber Rudd to lobby for the new law.

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• South Yorkshire Police
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