Government support for local investigations
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has announced that local authorities' inquiries into grooming gangs will receive government backing. While stopping short of launching a national probe, Cooper unveiled a series of measures to address the child rape scandal, including a three-month "rapid audit" led by Baroness Louise Casey to assess the scale of sexual exploitation of children.
Financial support and reopening cold cases
Cooper has urged police forces to reopen cold cases related to grooming gangs to ensure that suspected abusers who escaped justice in the past can be investigated once more. Additionally, £10 million in new funding will be allocated to identify and dismantle existing paedophile rings while providing support to victims.
Shift in Labour's stance
Despite pressure from various quarters, including the Tories, Reform, and Elon Musk, Labour has refrained from launching a national inquiry. However, following calls from Labour MPs representing Rotherham and Rochdale – two significant areas affected by the scandal – for a national probe, Cooper has committed to supporting council-led investigations similar to the one conducted in Telford.
Calls for a comprehensive national inquiry
While the government's announcement was met with criticism from Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, who deemed the plan for only five local inquiries inadequate, advocates are pushing for a full national public inquiry with the necessary legal powers to compel witnesses, take evidence under oath, and requisition written testimony.
