Woman Alleges Systemic Failures During Childhood Sexual Exploitation
A woman who endured what she describes as "repeated and appalling trauma" from age 14 due to sexual exploitation by older gang-affiliated men is taking legal action against multiple authorities. The claimant, identified only as EGZ, is suing Hertfordshire County Council, Essex County Council, the London Borough of Hackney, and the Metropolitan Police at the Royal Courts of Justice. Her case alleges negligence and violations of Articles 3 and 4 of the Human Rights Act concerning degrading treatment and slavery.
Allegations of Institutional Failure
EGZ claims that despite experiencing severe childhood trauma and escalating sexual and criminal exploitation, local authorities failed to secure a care order to place her in a secure children's home. This alleged failure exposed her to ongoing harm as she moved through approximately twenty different placements. Court documents suggest that authorities displayed "naive optimism bias" during a period when child sexual exploitation was "a matter of pressing national concern and visibility."
The Metropolitan Police is accused of knowing about risks posed by "her association with dangerous, older, gang-affiliated men" but allegedly violating human rights by failing to share critical information with Hackney Council that could have enhanced her safety. All defendants firmly deny these allegations.
A Childhood Marred by Abuse
During a grueling four-day cross-examination, EGZ described her early childhood in North London as occurring in a "loving, warm environment" with her mother. However, court papers reveal she suffered physical and sexual abuse from her stepfather between ages 10 and 14. This abuse, coupled with incidents of "cruel rejection," led to the breakdown of her relationship with her mother. A social worker later observed that this "detachment" caused EGZ to seek "love and affection in places that caused her harm."
In early 2010, EGZ reported a gang-rape that was posted on social media. School records indicate she subsequently developed emotional and behavioral difficulties and suicidal thoughts. Her living situation became unstable, including stays at her father's "cannabis farm" and with a female relative in Hertfordshire who allegedly hosted drug and alcohol-fueled parties.
Failures in Hertfordshire's Care
EGZ went missing from Hertfordshire in mid-2010 and was found in North London with individuals including a male with a criminal record referencing rape and drugs. After a hospitalization for overdose in late 2010, she officially entered the care of Hertfordshire County Council.
In mid-2011, Hertfordshire assessed EGZ as "sexually active, possibly pregnant, and that the claimant believed she could survive by getting men to buy her things." Her time in Hertfordshire ended "in an appalling manner" after a meeting in a pub garden, where it was agreed she could stay with relatives in Essex despite their suitability not being assessed.
Lawyers allege the Hertfordshire social worker handling the handover falsely communicated "no concerns" beyond school attendance. EGZ contends this exposed her to further exploitation risks. During cross-examination, EGZ stated she would have disclosed her stepfather's sexual abuse "if anyone at Hertfordshire asked me," while claiming the female relative had multiple sexual partners and was "having sex in front of me on occasions."
At age 14, Hertfordshire's special adolescent team received a referral from a sexual health clinic noting: "Child is putting herself at risk and sleeping with older men claiming she is 18." EGZ insisted the council "knew I was sleeping with older men. I was 14 and sleeping with older men. It cannot be consented, so those are all crimes."
Continued Exploitation in Essex
After her Hertfordshire placement broke down, EGZ entered the care of Essex County Council, passing through multiple foster placements. One incident referenced in legal documents shows EGZ returned to foster care by an unknown male in a van, claiming she got lost in a red-light district. Other times she went missing, stating she was visiting "friends" in London.
Under questioning, EGZ clarified that "friends" referred to "exploiters, in the shape of boyfriends." She described one "boyfriend" taking her to a church where attendees dressed in white, spoke in tongues, and locked them in overnight, calling it "a very strange experience now I look back."
EGZ's case argues care proceedings should have been initiated when she entered and left Essex's care, claiming there was never an adequate plan. She explained her rejection of a mental health assessment at the time was due to "insecurity."
Hackney's Alleged Negligence
In mid-2011, aged 15, EGZ was picked up from her Essex placement by X2, a 35-year-old man with a history of violence and sexual assault. Police found her with X2 the next day, when she falsely identified him as an "uncle." The claimant alleges the Met failed to check police systems that would have revealed X2's charge for "an especially gruesome rape."
A Hackney social worker concluded X2 and EGZ "probably have had sexual intercourse (and that taking advantage of her vulnerability was the motivating factor)." However, the case was closed after X2 claimed EGZ was no longer staying there following a note about her age. EGZ brings Human Rights Act claims against Hackney for this alleged failure.
Allowed to live with X2, EGZ was repeatedly raped and brutally assaulted in late 2011, resulting in hospitalization for a brain bleed. She initially accused X2 of rape but withdrew allegations. Police continued investigating, and X2 was prosecuted for assault.
EGZ then entered emergency foster placements that broke down, followed by a semi-independent living unit in 2012. There, an intruder referred to as X6 made her pregnant and threatened to kick her stomach; she later miscarried. While there, EGZ reported being raped at a "crummy hotel" by a "yardie with dreadlocks," refusing to identify him because she was "not a grass." She disclosed a man told her "because she is white she is 'not human' and therefore people can do… anything to her."
Ongoing Exploitation and Police Response
Aged 16 in mid-2012, EGZ lived with X3, a 33-year-old Jamaican man with a history of heroin supply and violence. Hackney social workers "tried to discourage" the relationship, but EGZ wanted them to "butt out." She explained: "He was an older man who made me feel like he loved and cared about me, for his own criminal and sexual exploitation," adding it was "my only option at the time" due to fear of foster care or returning to parents.
Police issued a Child Abduction Warning Notice (CAWN) after X3 denied a relationship but admitted giving her money "to help her out." EGZ told the court she asked for the CAWN's removal to "probably… sweeten the deal," adding: "So people would stop coming to the property and we could get on with the drug dealing."
Under cross-examination about police actions, EGZ disagreed that her troubled upbringing left her unable to recognize where following rules benefited her. She agreed she lied to prevent authorities removing her from "relationships" but countered: "As much as I was putting social workers and police off the scent, I was crying for help. I put little facts between the lies."
EGZ accused Hackney social services and the Met of leaving her with X2 despite knowing their age difference. "You assumed an older man was having sex with a child under 16. You did not arrest him for child abuse. Police and social workers left me there," she stated.
When questioned about withdrawn rape allegations, EGZ angrily responded: "Why did they not do that with [X2], and why did they not do that with [X3]?" adding: "I was getting deeper and deeper into the life of selling drugs and not being a snitch."
As counsel outlined there was no allegation of investigative duty breach against the Met, EGZ experienced a panic attack, stating "I can't breathe" and leaving the courtroom. The trial continues as EGZ seeks accountability for what she describes as systemic failures during her vulnerable childhood.
