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Race documentary showing a dark side of Asian culture to be broadcast in the UK
William Sparrow
August 26, 2004
Police feared the show would spark riots, as seen in Bradford in 2001
A documentary which police feared could incite racial violence is to be
broadcast today (Thursday, August 26, 2004).
Edge of the City was due to be aired on Channel 4 on May 20th, but was
withdrawn hours before transmission.
And you can see why. Edge Of The City points the finger of blame for child
grooming firmly at a group of Asian men.
It features claims that Asian men in Bradford groomed white girls as young as
11 for sex and drug abuse.
The British National Party (BNP) based an election broadcast on the show,
originally due to be screened in the run-up to local and European elections.
'Public interest'
The documentary was initially postponed on the advice of West Yorkshire Police,
who said they were concerned it could lead to inter-racial violence in the
city.
Peter Dale, Channel 4 head of documentaries, said: "Edge of the City is an
important, well-researched and produced documentary film.
"We believe that it is a fascinating insight into the work of the social
services in Bradford, crafted in a fair and measured way, and it is in the
public interest that this film be shown."
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said there was "never an issue of
censorship".
"We never had any intention of preventing it from being shown at some stage,"
West Yorkshire Police spokesman said.
He added: "West Yorkshire Police had concerns regarding the timing of the
broadcast in relation to a number of factors, including the European and local
elections.
"We never had any intention of preventing it from being shown at some stage."
The documentary, which follows the work of Bradford Social Services over the
course of a year, shows social workers raising fears over the grooming of young
white girls by older, predominantly Asian, men in Keighley.
The narration veers between telling the story straight and going alarmingly
over the top. But it is still a well observed, if harrowing, look at a problem
of men grooming girls as young as 11 for sex and passing them on to be abused
by their friends.
One 13-year-old girl has had 100 sexual partners.
Her mother agrees with social workers for her to be put into care in a
neighbouring county in a desperate effort to keep her away from her "boyfriend"
and his mates.
She says: "The day I signed the papers for her to go, I felt as though I was
giving my daughter away and betraying her. She looked at me as though I didn't
love her and as if I didn't care."
'No evidence'
It is alleged the girls are showered with gifts then given heroin or crack
cocaine. Some are allegedly subjected to rape.
The BNP election broadcast featured an actress voicing the words of a mother
who claimed her young teenage daughter had been drugged by her Asian boyfriend
and gang-raped by his friends.
In a joint statement, West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Council said they had
spent the past two years investigating the allegations, but had found "no
evidence of systematic exploitation".
In July 2001, Bradford was the scene of some of the worst race riots Britain
has seen for 20 years.
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