THREE GIRLS

UK, 2017, 180 minutes, Colour.
Molly Windsor, Ria Zmitrowicz, Liv Hill, Maxine Peake, Lesley Sharp, Paul Kaye, Jill Halfpenny.
Directed by Philippa Lowe Thorpe.

This is a significant program, on television in three episodes, based on actual events in the UK in the early 2000s. Much of the dialogue, especially with the police work and court cases is taken from transcripts.

The three girls of the title are girls in their mid teens, still at school, coming from poorer families, sometimes clashing with their parents, wanting to get out and have a good time. Many become friends, gather at eating places in their provincial towns, fostered by the owners, all very friendly.

However, this is a cover for grooming the young girls and for the equivalent of teenage prostitution. It offers an ugly picture of this kind of grooming as well as that of the men involved, their duplicity, their sexual violence.

Molly Windsor is particularly good as Holly, the central character studied. She becomes involved without at first realising what was happening. Another of the girls, Amber, tends to act as something of a pimp. Holly also has clashes with her father at home and the film opens with her being interviewed by the police.

Maxine Peake place Sarah, a social worker who tries to help the girls, especially in questions of sexuality and their sexual identity. She becomes aware, with her fellow workers, of what has happened to the girls and tries to contact the police who take very little notice of these reports.

As time goes on, it is discovered that there are similar grooming practices in quite a number of the British towns and higher police organisations have to take notice. By this time, the girls are reticent to speak but, after some personal attention from Sarah and from one of the policewomen, Maggie, Lesley Sharp, the girls give information and are prepared to go to court. Holly eventually gives testimony through video. Amber ultimately agrees to go to court but it is her younger sister, Ruby, who had an affair with one of the men and was pregnant, is chosen to give evidence.

The girls are submitted to quite rigorous questioning by the lawyers. In the meantime, the defendants, very well-dressed, plead their innocence in court.

Significant was the fact that in Rochdale, where this film is situated, the men were all Pakistani British which led to a variety of protests and accusations of racism.

At the end, the film gives a list of the towns in which such grooming rings were discovered and prosecuted.

1. The title, the focus on the girls? 21st-century British story? Teenagers? Rochdale and the other cities? Life in a British provincial town? The case, the range of exploitation? The response of the police? The effect on families? Issues of justice?

2. The strong cast, the girls playing the teenagers, their parents, Sarah and Maggie? The police? The credibility of the characters?

3. The screenplay, based on research, documents, transcripts? Authentic feel?

4. Rochdale, the British town, the families, the working class areas, poverty, poor parenting, lack of control? Parents not knowing what the teenagers were doing? The pressures on the teenagers, school, family, alienation? The effect of understanding the town and the extent of exploitation by the focus on these girls?

5. The focus on Holly, her age, surly in her manner, the initial arrest, destroying the bar in the flashbacks, the issue of stealing? The interviews, her father present, his reaction? Her response to the father, tensions with him, moving out?

6. Holly and her friends, at school, going out at night, the boys, the group of girls? Going to the Take Away? The influence of Amber? The free food, the drink, getting drunk? Daddy at the Take Away? The other men? Seemingly happy girls?

7. The audience discovering the truth about the grooming? Holly as focus? Amber and her control? Daddy and his being jovial? The driver? The different flats, the sexual encounters, Holly and her experiences, being resigned, what’s the use of resisting? The effect on her, her personality, at home? The other girls? Continuing these experiences, for months? The various men, the role of the driver?

8. Holly’s father, confrontations, anger, her mother being more passive? Holly asserting herself? The intervention of Sarah, sexual health of the girls, pregnancy, Sarah and talking with Holly, Sarah talking with the police – but no case?

9. The focus on Amber, her age, sexual experience, her control and pimping, the younger sister, Ruby? The effect on Amber? Ruby at 13, pregnant, her love for the married man, thinking he loved her? Her mother, concerned for the two daughters? Ruby’s pregnancy, the issue of abortion? The police keeping the foetus and freezing it as evidence?

10. Sarah, her team, her personality, devoted to her work, helping the girls, condoms, advice? The reports, not being listened to? Later, her report, and her being blamed? Sarah as effective with the girls, the continued visits, talking, help with the police?

11. The range of police throughout the film, the interviews, their not believing the girls? Not following through?

12. The men, the range and number? The Asian background? Pakistan? The revelation about the ring and of the rings in other towns? The style and grooming, the using of the girls?

13. The police in the initial enquiries? The later police, the broader team, the prosecutor and the team? The meetings?

14. Maggie, her background, grandmother, her role in the interviews, Amber’s mother and the condemnation? With Amber, the slow making friends with her? The taping? The mother and her change? The contact with Ruby, both of the girls as mothers?

15. The police, with Holly, the woman assigned to interview her? At home, with the baby? The gradual softening? The pressure on Holly, her attack on the baby, the baby being taken, in foster care, her behaving well, the return of the baby?

16. The different police, the cases, the lawyers, the Pakistani head, his admitting the truth, the role of the press and the media?

17. Holly agreeing, getting ready, the day of giving testimony, the video of her response, the questions from the lawyers, her answers, the second day? Her father, being proud of her? The return of the baby?

18. Ruby, testifying, the prosecuting lawyers? Amber and her sullenness about not being interviewed? Her mother upset and puzzled?

19. The range of lawyers, the prosecution, their questions?

20. The men, in court, dressed up, their denials, vehement?

21. The jury, the guilty verdicts? The range of men, their being found guilty, Daddy and his protests? The man with the affair and Ruby? The driver?

22. The aftermath, Maggie, the resignation, going to see Amber and her mother, the argument, the apology?

23. Sarah and Holly, meeting in the park, reminiscing, Sarah being sacked and the after information about her?

24. The reports, the errors, the failures, the extent of the grooming and the listing of so many cities?