Victims of Asian grooming gangs have told of their horrific ordeals as a report revealed today that the 'arrogant' abusers felt 'unlikely to be prosecuted'.
A Serious Case Review found the gangs preyed on 700 girls and vulnerable young women in the North East before a major operation was launched to stop them.
Experts have revealed that those targeted by sex predators on Tyneside are likely to need lifetime support to help cope with the impact of their ordeals.
And details of some of their horrific experiences were revealed for the first time with the publication of the 150-page report.
During interviews with the report's author, victims told how they were raped while under the influence of drink and drugs.
'I never had sex when I was sober,' one said. 'I wanted to leave. I was given drink. I kept saying no and fighting them off. I was very tired and fell asleep. When I woke, I had been raped. When I was asleep I was raped.'
And a victim told how the abusers used the drug mephedrone, otherwise known as M-Cat, to control the girls.
A total of 22 young women gave evidence at the trials which resulted in substantial prison sentences.
