THE GROOMING gangs inquiry will explicitly probe the ethnicity and religion of offenders, the Home Secretary announced.
Shabana Mahmood said the country had witnessed “abject failure” after children were subjected to “beatings and gang rapes,” with some forced into abortions and others having their babies taken away.
The Home Secretary said the state “turned a blind eye” and in some cases “even covered it up,” despite having “a shameful lack of national data.”
Citing the Government’s audit, she said it was “clear that in some local areas… disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds were amongst the suspects.”
She warned that a “moment of reckoning” had arrived and said authorities must answer whether they ignored ethnicity and religion out of a “misplaced desire to protect community cohesion.”
The Home Secretary confirmed the inquiry will begin in March, run for three years, and be backed by £65 million.
She named former children’s commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield as chair, saying she has “devoted her life to children’s rights,” and will resign the Labour whip to take the role.
Her panel will include Zoe Billingham CBE, bringing “deep expertise in safeguarding and policing,” and Eleanor Kelly CBE, praised for supporting survivors of major national tragedies.
She said the trio have “a proven track record of holding powerful institutions to account.”
The inquiry will run a series of local investigations controlled by a national panel “with full statutory powers.”
She confirmed Oldham will be investigated first and said “no area will be able to resist a local investigation.”
Any new evidence of crimes or cover-ups will be handed straight to police to put “more of these evil men behind bars.”
It comes after months of delays and furious rows about what the inquiry should even look at.
Two potential chairs quit in October over concerns about their links to police and social services.
And several women walked out of the victims liaison panel, accusing the Government of trying to water down the focus on grooming gangs.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch used a press conference yesterday to pile pressure on ministers, unveiling her own terms for the investigation drawn up with help of survivors.
She said the inquiry must examine the role of ethnicity and religion in the scandal and “leave no stone unturned”.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also demanded foreign grooming gang members be kicked out of Britain “with no exceptions,” insisting dual nationals must be stripped of their British citizenship.
He warned Pakistan could face “visa sanctions” if it refuses to take offenders back.
