Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs - Home Secretary's statement to Parliament

The Home Secretary's statement on the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs.

The scandal

"Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, with your permission I will make a statement on the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, the appointment of its Chair and panel, and the inquiry's terms of reference.   

I know that, for many, this day is long overdue. For years, the victims of these awful crimes were ignored. First abused by vile predators, they then found themselves belittled and even blamed, when it was justice they were owed.   

In January, my predecessor asked Baroness Casey of Blackstock, who's here with us today, to conduct a National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.   

With devastating clarity, Baroness Casey revealed the horror that lies behind that jargonistic term. It is vital that we too call these crimes what they were:  multiple sexual assaults, committed by multiple men, on multiple occasions.   

Children were submitted to beatings and gang rapes. Many contracted sexually transmitted infections. Some were forced to have abortions. Others had their children taken from them.   

But it was not just these awful crimes that now shame us.   

There was also an abject failure by the state, in its many forms, to fulfil its most basic duty: protecting the young and vulnerable.   

Worse still, some in positions of power turned a blind eye to the horror, even covered it up.   

Despite a shameful lack of national data, Baroness Casey was clear that in some local areas, where data was available, and I quote:   

“Disproportionate numbers of men from Asian ethnic backgrounds” were “amongst the suspects”.  

Like every member of my community who I know, I am horrified by these acts.   

We must root out this evil, once and for all. The sickening acts of a minority of evil men – as well as those in positions of authority, who looked the other way – must not be allowed to marginalise – or demonise – entire communities of law-abiding citizens.   

The inquiry

What is required now is a moment of reckoning. We must cast fresh light on this darkness.   

In her audit, Baroness Casey called for a national inquiry.

In June, the government accepted that recommendation.   

Today, I can announce the Chair of the inquiry and panel that will form the leadership of the inquiry, and a draft of the Inquiry's terms of reference.  

The chair and panel

The inquiry will be chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield.   

As many in this place will know, Baroness Longfield was the Children's Commissioner from 2015 to 2021. She has devoted her life to children's rights, including running a charity supporting and protecting young people, and working for Prime Ministers of different political parties.  

In recognition of her service, Baroness Longfield was elevated to the Lords earlier this year.  

At that point, she took the Labour whip, which, on taking up this appointment, she will now resign.   

Alongside her, I can also announce her two fellow panellists.   

The first is Zoë Billingham CBE.   

Zoë is a former Inspector at His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, and currently serves as Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.   

She brings deep expertise in safeguarding and policing, specifically in holding forces to account.  

The second panellist is Eleanor Kelly CBE.   

Eleanor is the former Chief Executive of Southwark Council.   

In 2017, she supported the survivors of the London Bridge terrorist attacks, and the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire of the same year.   

Together, the Chair and panel bring deep experience of championing children's rights, knowledge of policing and local government, and, crucially, a proven track record of holding powerful institutions to account.  

Each individual was recommended by Baroness Casey. 

And her recommendation follows recent engagement with victims.

The first thing the Chair and Panel will do, alongside Baroness Casey, is meet with victims later this week.   

The terms of reference

Today, we also publish the draft terms of reference which I will place in the library of the House.  

Time limited

Baroness Casey was clear this inquiry must be time-limited to ensure justice is swift for those who have already waited too long.   

For that reason, it will be completed within three years, supported by a £65 million budget.    

Local investigations

The inquiry will be a series of local investigations overseen by a national panel with full statutory powers.  

Baroness Longfield has confirmed that Oldham will have a local investigation.  

The Chair and panel will determine the other locations in due course.  

And no location will be able to resist a local investigation.   

Scope

These terms of reference are clear on a number of vital issues:   

The inquiry is focused, specifically, on child sexual abuse committed by grooming gangs.   

It will consider, explicitly, the background of offenders – including their ethnicity and religion – and whether the authorities failed to properly investigate what happened out of a misplaced desire to protect community cohesion.   

The inquiry will act without fear or favour, identifying individual, institutional and systemic failure, inadequate organisational responses, and failures of leadership.   

Interaction with police

It will also work hand in hand with the police.   

Where new criminality comes to light, be that by the perpetrators or those who covered up their crimes…  

The Inquiry will pass evidence to law enforcement, so they can take forward any further prosecutions, and put more of these evil men behind bars.    

Victims at the forefront

The inquiry must, and will, place victims and survivors at the forefront, with a charter setting out how they will participate and how their views, experiences and testimony will shape the inquiry's work.    

As I have said already, the terms are in draft form.   

The Chair will now consult on them with victims and other stakeholders.  

They will be confirmed no later than March, when the Inquiry can begin its work in earnest.   

Other audit recommendations 

Alongside launching this inquiry, Baroness Casey's audit contained a number of other recommendations, which the government accepted in full.    

As the inquiry begins its work, we continue righting these wrongs.  

Recommendation 4, 10

I can announce today that I have commissioned new research from UK Research and Innovation to rectify the unacceptable gaps in our understanding of perpetrators' backgrounds and motivations, including their ethnicity and religion.  

My predecessor wrote to all police forces calling on them to improve the collection of ethnicity data, and while the Home Secretary does not currently have the power to mandate that this is collected, I will rectify this by legislating at the earliest possible opportunity.   

Recommendation 9

The Department for Education is currently interrogating gaps in “children in need” data, identified in the audit, which seem to under-report the scale of this crisis.   

My Rt Honourable Friend the Education Secretary will soon publish the findings of an urgent review of this data conducted by her department.   

Recommendation 5,6,7

Across government, the audit identified that poor data sharing continues to put children at risk. 

As a result, we are introducing a legal duty for information sharing between safeguarding partners.   

We are creating a unique identifier for each child, linking all data across government.   

And we are upgrading police technology to ensure data can be shared across agencies.   

Recommendation 1, 3

The audit also identified an absurdity in our legal system that saw some child rapists convicted of lesser crimes.   

As a result, we are now changing the law to make clear that children cannot consent when they have been raped by an adult, so perpetrators are charged for the hideous crime they have committed.

While the law has protected abusers from the consequences of their crimes, it has too often punished victims. Some survivors were convicted for crimes they had been coerced into, continuing their trauma to this day.  

We are already legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill to disregard offences related to prostitution, and the Ministry of Justice is now working with the Criminal Cases Review Commission to ensure they are resourced to review applications from individuals who believe they were wrongly criminalised.  

Recommendation 11

The National Audit identified further weaknesses in relation to taxi licencing.  

Abusers were applying for licences in areas where controls were lax, to circumvent protection put in place by local councils to tackle abuse.   

My Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary will soon be legislating to close this dangerous loophole in the regulation of taxis.

Recommendation 2, 8

The audit was clear that justice has not been done. Baroness Casey requested that a new national police investigation was required to bring offenders to justice.

Last month the National Crime Agency launched Operation Beaconport, reviewing previously closed cases of child sexual exploitation.  

It has already flagged more than 1,200 cases for potential reinvestigation, more than 200 of which are high-priority cases of rape.  

The evil men who committed these crimes – and thought they got away with it – will find they have nowhere to hide.   

Recommendation 12

The audit finally called on the government to fund the delivery of its recommendations.  

Alongside investment in the Inquiry itself, I can announce today that a further £3.65 million will be committed this year to the policing operation, survivor support and research into grooming gangs.  

Conclusion

This work, Madam Deputy Speaker, is essential.   

But without truth, there can be no justice.  

Today, I have announced the Chair and panel of an Inquiry which will shine a bright light on this dark moment in our history.   

They will do so alongside the victims of these awful crimes, who have waited too long to see justice done.   

This inquiry is theirs, not ours.    

So I call on all those present to put politics aside, for a moment, and to support this Chair and her panel in the pursuit of truth and justice.   

And I commend this statement to the House."