Grooming gangs inquiry chairwoman ‘not squeamish about ethnicity’ | UK | News
The head of the grooming gang inquiry said he would not be “sensitive” in examining whether ethnicity influenced crime or shaped the response of institutions.
MPs were informed that the investigation would “get to the truth” and would not compromise the quality of the findings.
The mandate of the statutory independent inquiry was to examine how grooming gangs operated and how the police, local authorities, health services, social care services and schools responded to abuse.
Baroness Anne Longfield told the Home Affairs Committee: “We set out to understand and show what caused this, what allowed it to happen and what allowed it to continue.
“We are not squeamish… We recognize that there is no one type of survivor or perpetrator here, but we also know that answers can be sought and delivered there.”
Panel member Zoe Billingham added: “We must lead the evidence to the conclusions it draws us to.
“In terms of prosecution, we know that the perpetrators in some parts of the country are of Asian, Pakistani origin, we will not shy away from that, we will not find excuses for that.
“We will examine from a forensic perspective whether religion, culture, heritage and history can be a factor.
“Our investigation should lead us to the truth.”
Lady Longfield’s investigation has a maximum duration of three years, will conclude no later than March 2029, and has a budget of £65 million. England’s former children’s commissioner told MPs he was fully confident the investigation was supported by adequate funding.
He said: “We think it’s doable and that’s what we signed up for.
“We think it is possible with the budget.
“We have high faith that we will achieve this, quality will be our guide. We will never compromise on quality.
“We don’t want to have another investigation like this. We’re very clear that it’s going to be three years and we don’t think we’ll have to go back for any (extra) money at this stage.”
The inquiry published its terms of reference earlier this year and began its comprehensive investigation into group-based sexual exploitation of children in England and Wales.
It will have the legal authority to compel witnesses to provide evidence and compel organizations to hand over relevant documents.
It comes after ministers called on police to use AI technology to detect and break up grooming gangs and track down child sex offenders.
Officers in England and Wales will gain access to a range of “AI-powered intelligence tools” under Home Office plans, allowing them to analyze large data sets, translate foreign language material and uncover patterns and links between suspects.
The government confirmed the technology, backed by £9 million in funding, will enable forces to bring predators to justice “regardless of their size or local resources”.
The Home Office has pledged £100 million to review hundreds of previously closed investigations and set up a network to track online criminals. The additional funding is expected to build on last year’s record enforcement levels, which resulted in 10,693 prosecutions and 8,681 convictions for child sexual offences.
The grooming gangs inquiry was established on the advice of Baroness Louise Casey’s National Inspection into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
The audit identified systemic failures and institutional paralysis that have allowed grooming gangs to operate for many years.
