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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Arrests made in child sex abuse investigation | Arrests made in child sex abuse investigation |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A number of people have been arrested as part of a major investigation into the sexual exploitation of children and young people in Northern Ireland. | A number of people have been arrested as part of a major investigation into the sexual exploitation of children and young people in Northern Ireland. |
| The police have identified a group of 22 young people - aged between 13 and 18 - who may have been abused. | The police have identified a group of 22 young people - aged between 13 and 18 - who may have been abused. |
| The investigation follows a police review of cases where young people have gone missing from the care system over the last 18 months. | |
| The issue is to be discussed at Stormont on Monday. | The issue is to be discussed at Stormont on Monday. |
| The joint meeting of the assembly's health and justice committees was called by the justice committee chairman, Paul Givan. | The joint meeting of the assembly's health and justice committees was called by the justice committee chairman, Paul Givan. |
| Health Minister Edwin Poots and Justice Minister David Ford are due to attend the Stormont meeting. Mr Poots said his staff would do all they could to deal with the allegations. | |
| The health minister has said the abuse was on a scale not seen before in Northern Ireland and compared it to recent high-profile court cases in Rochdale and Oxford. | The health minister has said the abuse was on a scale not seen before in Northern Ireland and compared it to recent high-profile court cases in Rochdale and Oxford. |
| A team of 15 detectives and social workers is working on the investigation. | A team of 15 detectives and social workers is working on the investigation. |
| The majority of the children were abused when they went missing from care homes but it is understood some of the victims were living at home with their families and were abused when they left their homes. | The majority of the children were abused when they went missing from care homes but it is understood some of the victims were living at home with their families and were abused when they left their homes. |
| Justice | |
| A number of arrests have been made, with suspects questioned about alleged sexual exploitation as well as other criminal activities. | |
| It is understood that all of those were later released pending further investigation. | |
| Mr Givan described the reports as "gravely disturbing". | Mr Givan described the reports as "gravely disturbing". |
| "The horrors of these crimes leave us only to pray for the victims and work towards ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice," he said. | "The horrors of these crimes leave us only to pray for the victims and work towards ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice," he said. |
| "The public will be deeply concerned at this development and need to hear from the relevant authorities as to what has happened." | "The public will be deeply concerned at this development and need to hear from the relevant authorities as to what has happened." |
| Mr Givan said the meeting would provide "an opportunity to probe what actions are being taken to investigate and bring to justice those responsible". | Mr Givan said the meeting would provide "an opportunity to probe what actions are being taken to investigate and bring to justice those responsible". |