Eleanor Williams case has made abuse victims reluctant to report, says charity

Eleanor Williams was convicted of nine counts of perverting the course of justice. Photograph: Cumbria Police/AP

A charity in Barrow that supports victims of sexual exploitation said many of its clients were reluctant to report abuse to police because they “don’t want to be arrested”, like Eleanor Williams.

As a result, police in Cumbria did not know the true scale of sexual exploitation in the town, a judge has been told.