Caring

Once again in the news this week we hear of the horrific consequences of paedophile Pakistani gangs grooming and abusing over 1,400 young girls.  I work in care homes and know that this stuff goes on and have had to deal with the consequences, and I reckon Birmingham will be the next city to be implicated as some of the girls I have worked with have indeed been abused and raped by Asian gangs there.  I did of course write a stage play about that very subject called The Girl In The Box, but whilst on the channel 4 screenwriting scheme I also developed a hard hitting drama series called Caring, which alongside the abuse of girls by gangs also tackled the issue of historic abuse that has also recently been uncovered in former care homes from some years ago.  But I was advised to change the perpetrators of the drama from Asian to white characters, as it might appear to be ‘racial stereotyping’.  This is of course was what was happening in Rochdale and Oxford; the social workers and agencies involved were afraid of being seen to be racist by singling out a particular racial group; but the truth however unpalatable is that it is mostly Pakistani gangs who are exploiting vulnerable white girls; and particularly those in care.  As a writer I do tread very carefully when approaching these kind of subjects, and do my best to write positive roles with a good racial mix wherever possible, but as I said as far as this subject matter goes I know first hand the truth of it, and I do feel that someone should be brave and honest enough to stand up for these poor kids who have suffered the most appalling sexual and physical abuse anyone could imagine.  With this in mind, I will have another go at trying to find a home for my drama as I have had nothing but positive responses from every producer who has read it so far, but they pretty much all admit that the subject matter is just too challenging and risky for them to consider taking any further.  Below is a synopsis of the series…

CARING

Grace spent her entire childhood in care, now she herself is a care worker and in spite of her difficult circumstances has just been selected to manage a children's home that is in imminent danger of closing.  She is determined to make a difference for the kids there, and more particularly for Monique, a challenging girl whose life somewhat mirrors her own.  Monique has been absconding regularly, putting herself at risk and is getting seriously close to being housed in 'secure accommodation'; a distressing establishment that Grace has experience of herself.  Similarly, Monique is seen as easy prey to adult sexual predators and is already being groomed.  But Grace's battle to save a vulnerable fifteen-year-old girl is further complicated by an affair with a co-worker and explosive revelations of horrific abuse at her former secure care home.  Following suicides of other residents there, the pressure is on for Grace to testify, and the past for her is just too painful to face up to.  Two human stories intertwine in a breakneck journey to save souls, and a deep longing just to be 'normal' - A modern day parable tackling the worrying trend of sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls in care by Asian gangs, and the dark consequences of drug crime.