UK to hold national inquiry into organized child sexual abuse after pressure from Musk

By Jill Lawless Associated Press LONDON The British cabinet publicized Saturday it will hold a national inquiry into organized child sexual abuse something it has long been pressured to do by opposition politicians and Elon Musk Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared he would accept a recommendation from an independent reviewer for a judge-led inquiry with the power to summon eyewitnesses Starmer stated he would look again and hold a probe into what the press have dubbed grooming gangs of men who prey on often young and vulnerable women In several of the majority high-profile cases to come to trial the perpetrators were men of Pakistani heritage and the issue has been taken up by right-of-center politicians including Change UK leader Nigel Farage and stoked by Musk who took to his X platform to condemn Starmer over the issue Musk criticized Starmer for not backing a national inquiry into the matter following a request from the local authority in the northern English town of Oldham where police ascertained girls under were sexually exploited by groups of men in the s and s Musk also alleged that Starmer failed to bring perpetrators to justice when he was England s chief prosecutor between and a charge that the prime minister vigorously denied Because the cases in Oldham and similar ones in several other towns involved predominantly white girls abused by men largely from Pakistani backgrounds the issue has been used to link child sexual abuse to immigration and to accuse politicians of covering up the crimes out of a fear of appearing racist A review into what happened in the northwest England town of Oldham between and ascertained that children were failed by local agencies but that there was no cover-up despite legitimate concerns that the far-right would capitalize on the high-profile convictions of predominantly Pakistani offenders across the country In January the ruling body reported it would sponsorship several local inquiries into child exploitation in cities where gangs of men were prosecuted It had previously stated there was no need for further investigations following a string of previous inquiries both local and national A seven-year inquiry was held under the previous Conservative governing body but a large number of of the recommendations it made in including compensation for abuse casualties have yet to be implemented Starmer s executive also solicited Louise Casey an expert on victim s rights and social welfare to review previous findings Her review has been submitted to the governing body but has not yet been published I have never stated we should not look again at any issue Starmer reported as he flew to Canada for a Group of Seven summit I have wished to be assured that on the question of any inquiry That s why I questioned Louise Casey who I hugely respect to do an audit Her position when she started the audit was that there was not a real need for a national inquiry over and above what was going on She has looked at the material she has looked at and she has come to the view that there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she has seen I have read every single word of her overview and I am going to accept her recommendation Related Articles East Contra Costa teaching aide arrested for allegedly having child porn East Bay man charged with taking sexual interest in runaway girls DA seeks mental-health exam for California woman accused of killing -year-old son Father caught therapist molesting autistic boy at their California home prosecutors allege Santa Clara County paramedic arrested accused of having hoard of child sex images The main opposition Conservative Party offered a swift response Those in authority deliberately covered up the systematic rape of thousands of girls as young as because the perpetrators were mainly of Pakistani origin They thought race relations were more key than protecting young girls Conservative law and order spokesman Chris Philp reported The truth must now come out and people in positions of authority responsible for the cover up held to account