Rotherham’s three Labour MPs are taking legal action against the UK Independence party MEP Jane Collins for saying that they knew about widespread child sex abuse in the city.
Sarah Champion, John Healey and Kevin Barron are suing Collins – who represents Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire in the European parliament – for libel and slander for accusations she made in her speech at last year’s Ukip party conference.
The three MPs are also bringing libel proceedings against a Ukip councillor in Rotherham, Caven Vines, for remarks he made in an interview to Sky News on 5 January.
A statement from the three MPs read: “It is sickening that Ukip could use such an important issue for party-political point-scoring, and we will challenge these defamatory accusations through every means available to prove they are untrue and to stop Ukip exploiting the terrible abuse for their own political gain.”
A report conducted by Professor Alexis Jay, published in August last year, found that blatant failures of political and police leadership contributed to the sexual exploitation of 1,400 children in Rotherham over a 16-year period. The former chief inspector of social work concluded that the city’s council knew as far back as 2005 of widespread sexual exploitation by mostly Asian men, but failed to act.
Collins made the comments in a speech made in Doncaster last September, in which she suggested that victims of abuse had not been protected because of political correctness. “The abusers time and time again walked away. And why? It was because of their Asian origin”, she said.
Vines said of the comments he made to Sky: “It’s something I said off my own back and I’m quite sure I can substantiate it. All I know is we’ve got them worried.”
Collins confirmed on Twitter that she was being sued, but has not yet responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Ukip said it would be inappropriate for the party to comment on a live case.