Analysis
Mike Sergeant, local government correspondent
Rotherham isn't alone in facing the distressing problem of child sexual abuse. But the report exposed a deeply dysfunctional system here.
The council insists things have improved significantly in recent years. Many, though, are still shocked that efforts to confront exploitation fell woefully short.
Was there a particular problem specific to Rotherham? Did Labour's total dominance of this authority allow a complacent, rotten culture to develop? Was the political opposition so enfeebled that effective challenge to the leadership was striking by its absence?
As people here reflect on these political questions, it's worth thinking for a moment about the complex, corporate identity of modern councils. Social workers report to safeguarding managers, child protection co-ordinators, directors of services, and chief executives. All overseen by 63 elected councillors.
Such a complex web of relationships. So many different chains of command - making true accountability very hard to establish