Victims of sexual abuse given 'voice' in Blackburn (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Victims of sexual abuse given 'voice' in Blackburn

9:00pm Sunday 20th March 2011 in Blackburn By Nazia Parveen, Reporter

VICTIMS of sexual abuse were given a ‘voice’ at a new exhibition at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery.

Youngsters from the town who have been groomed for sexual exploitation took part in a photography show, PhotoVoice.

More than 115 people attended the opening night, with one youngster reading a tear-jerking poem to the visitors.

The project has been spearheaded by the Engage team, which is a multi-agency initiative to safeguard vulnerable youngsters in East Lancashire.

It was launched around the time the Lancashire Telegraph’s Keep Them Safe campaign uncovered the problem of gangs of older men grooming girls for sex in 2005.

Five girls from Blackburn showcased their work, with images depicting teenage interests, including going out and having fun with friends, love and relationships, taking risks and staying safe, and how to manage emotions.

One teenage victim from Blackburn, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “This has been brilliant and has really helped us move forward.

“It was great working through my experiences with other people who have been through the same things as me.

“I have to be able to talk things through and, by doing this project, it has helped me to think about what happened and start to move on.”

The photographs were taken as part of a nationwide project funded by Children In Need, and organised by the National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People, and the charity PhotoVoice.

Stacey McKenna-Seed, from PhotoVoice, said: “All these youngsters have been affected by sexual exploitation and they have managed to exit it and this is part of the moving on process.

"We were all very proud of them because some of the things they have been through are horrific and very traumatic.

“It was great to see them regaining their confidence.”

Their work was first displayed in an art gallery in Manchester last October and will remain at the Blackburn museum until the end of the month.

Nick McPartlan, from Engage, said: “We were all extremely proud to see what the girls had achieved with their photography and personally too.”