The rape gang scandal arose because young, mainly white, girls were systematically gang raped. This was covered up by those in authority because the perpetrators were mainly of Pakistani origin.
When the Labour Government’s rejection of calls for a national inquiry became public in January, the Prime Minister disgracefully smeared as “far-right” those supporting calls for a proper inquiry. That kind of language is how these crimes got covered up in the first place.
We eventually forced the Labour Government into holding a national inquiry into the cover-up. But the truth is, they never wanted the inquiry at all and it is now collapsing into chaos.
One of the candidates put forward to chair the inquiry has withdrawn, leaving only one remaining.
And now, three survivors have resigned from the consultation panel, voicing concerns that the inquiry will no longer focus on the rape gang cover-up specifically and will instead be widened in an attempt to brush it under the carpet.
This must not happen. Ellie-Ann Reynolds said in her letter of resignation that she was worried about the widening of the inquiry in a way which will “downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse.”
Meanwhile, Fiona Goddard said in her resignation letter that survivors have “repeatedly faced suggestions from officials to expand this inquiry”.
Fiona said there is real fear from survivors that grooming gang victims will be forgotten.
And Elizabeth Harper revealed there was a lack of “genuine understanding of the grooming gangs scandal”.
The inquiry must focus on the victims of rape gangs. And the inquiry must look at the institutions that covered up these appalling crimes in order to protect so-called “community relations”.
Survivors were let down by the very people they were supposed to protect. Ex-police officers and social workers must not be put forward to be chairs of the inquiry.
How can survivors trust ex-police and social workers when these two institutions were at the heart of the cover-up?
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That is why the Conservatives are calling for a judge-led inquiry.
A judge will be impartial and get to the bottom of these disgusting crimes and the cover-up by authorities.
The Labour Government must not simply choose Jim Gamble to lead the inquiry just because he is the last man standing.
They must reopen the process and start again.
We understand that setting up an inquiry takes time.
But the Labour Government does not seem to be treating this issue with the urgency it deserves.
Victims and survivors have been betrayed over and over again.
First by the authorities who ignored them, and now by a Labour Government that’s watering down its own inquiry before it’s even begun.
The Labour Government could start taking action now to get justice for the survivors.
They must start forcing Pakistan to take back the grooming gang perpetrators who are eligible for deportation by suspending all foreign aid and imposing visa sanctions until these disgusting rapists are deported.
But all we have seen from the Labour Government so far is dither and delay.
The Government must urgently launch the inquiry as a full, statutory, judge-led investigation with the power, to deliver justice for every survivor and hold every official who enabled these crimes to account.
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