by A teenager allegedly was raped by a man in his 30s in a hotel used to house refugees in East London, and another alleged sexual assault against a child is said to have occurred at the same facility.
Metropolitan police confirmed that they were investigating both incidents, which come amid growing fears of chronic overcrowding and unsafe refugee facilities that put significant pressure on interior secretary Suella Braverman.
The other child was allegedly sexually assaulted in the same Walthamstow accommodation facility. The Met said one person had been accused of touching a child under the age of 13 and would appear in court next week.
It is assumed that the two incidents took place within weeks of each other in a hotel where 150 children along with 250 adults were reportedly locked up.
Labor MP Stella Creasy asked Braverman to step down over the revelations, saying the Interior Ministry has not put in place adequate safeguards to protect refugee children. Braverman has previously described such accommodations as ‘nice hotels’ costing up to £ 150 per person per night.
The use of hotel accommodations for asylum seekers nearly tripled in 2021, despite promises from the Interior Ministry to end their use. Asked by the prime minister on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak said the Interior Ministry needed to book hotel accommodation for hundreds more refugees.
The government is under severe pressure to relocate asylum seekers from immigration centers which are vastly overcrowded, including the Manston Immigration Processing Center in Kent.
Grace Williams, the Waltham Forest council leader, wrote to Braverman to express concern about the lack of protection at the London facility, saying, “We have continually expressed our view that hosting families with children in emergency hotels is detrimental to the well-being of children. Now it is evident that it is also a risk to their safety “.
The hotel is managed by Clearsprings Ready Homes, which has a 10-year contract with the Home Office to manage accommodation for asylum seekers in England and Wales. On Monday, the Guardian reported that the company increased its profits more than six times last year, with its three directors sharing dividends of nearly £ 28 million.
Creasy expressed concern about the plight of the children in the House of Commons hotel on Monday, before he learned of the allegations. She said up to eight people were crammed into one room. “No places in school for these school-age children. No clothes for most of them, especially for the winter weather. There are no play facilities if they are allowed in all of these prisons. No protection as far as none of us can see, ”she added.
He asked Braverman if he would publish the contracts that applied for the care of refugee children. Braverman said it was a mistake to suggest the government was cutting corners and added: “When I got to the Home Office, I was frankly very dismayed and shocked to find that we are spending an average of £ 150 per person per person. Night. to accommodate people in the hotel. By my standards, this is a nice hotel. “
Creasy told the Guardian that instead of taking his concerns seriously, Braverman “cheaply made fun of the price of hotels and showed little understanding of why it mattered.”
He said: “These incidents underscore how important it is that those who have responsibility for these children do so with the professionalism and compassion they deserve. The secretary of the interior has failed on all fronts: if she had an ounce of integrity she would resign, and if she does not, the prime minister owes these children the duty of care that has been lacking to date and must remove her from her post. “
Williams said the hotel, which the council does not want to identify, was not suitable for long-term use. Many of the rooms do not have opening windows, carpets or desks, and there is no common space, so refugees have to eat in their rooms. She said these circumstances showed that these hotels were not safe places for young people.
He said, “These are vulnerable children often moved thousands of miles placed in cramped hotels for months on end without adequate support in place. Municipalities are doing everything they can to protect these people with little or no warning of the large number of asylum seekers placed in their areas. Alongside schools and health services, we support people often with very complex needs with few additional resources.
“Waltham Forest has a proud history of welcoming people from all over the world. The government must stop putting children and vulnerable people at risk ”.
Williams asked the Minister of the Interior to carry out risk assessments on every person placed in emergency hotels and to confirm that single men will no longer be placed in hotels with children and families.
Shadow interior secretary, Yvette Cooper, called it “a truly horrible relationship.” She said: “This happens a few weeks after hundreds of children were reported missing from a hotel run by the Ministry of the Interior, still missing,” she said. “The Ministry of the Interior must take urgent action to protect the children in its care”.
One person was charged Sunday, Sept. 11, of touching a child under the age of 13, the Met said.
A spokesman added: “He was placed on bail by the court to appear at the Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 9 November. The charge relates to an incident that took place at a hotel in Waltham Forest on Friday 9 September. The victim is assisted by specialized agents ”.
The force said they received a rape complaint at the same hotel on 5 October. A spokesperson said: “The officers witnessed and talked to the victim, a teenage boy and his family. Specialist support is provided. A man, in his thirties, was arrested on the spot and taken into custody. He was released on bail to return on a date in early January 2023.
The Home Office and Clearsprings declined to comment.
