Following the verdicts, Det Ch Insp Claire Smith, the senior investigating officer, said the victims had “endured abhorrent abuse at the hands of people entrusted and paid to care for them, in a place they should have been safe”.
“As children, they were made to feel powerless, told that no-one would believed them and that speaking up would put them in danger. After years of carrying that fear, their voices have finally been heard,” she said.
Smith said the force accepted “opportunities have been missed in the past to protect victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse, but have taken this learning and used it to develop strong partnerships and better working practices with other agencies”.
She added that she wanted to “thank the victim-survivors for the tremendous bravery they have shown in coming forward and sharing their experiences with the police, leading to this conviction”.
A Calderdale Council spokesperson apologised for the “horrific” abuse to which Phillips’ and Brunning’s victims had been subjected.
“Calderdale Council is deeply sorry for the harm and suffering caused by these individuals, and for the devastating impact this abuse has had on the lives of their victims,” they said.
The spokesperson added that the authority’s safeguarding practices had since “changed beyond recognition”.