National grooming gang probe ‘must be extended to Scotland'
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THE national criminal investigation into grooming gangs must be extended to Scotland to avoid a 'missed opportunity', the peer in charge of a damning report into the scandal has said.
Baroness Casey's report found victims were failed by cops and officials who were in 'denial' about the rape and abuse of white girls by disproportionately Asian men and called for a major UK-wide criminal probe into the issue.
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Baroness Casey's damning report laid bare how the State was in 'denial' over the rape and abuse of white girls.
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A national inquiry into grooming gangs has been announced
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Asked whether Scotland should be part of it, she said: 'I would be disappointed if the opportunity of the national criminal investigation [was missed].
'I can move from Scotland to England pretty easily and criminals do, so that would be a missed opportunity.'
Sir Keir Starmer bowed to pressure at the weekend and ordered a national inquiry into mass child sex abuse ahead of the publication of Baroness Casey's review.
Her devastating report on Monday laid bare how the State was in 'denial' over the rape and abuse of white girls.
Dame Louise Casey found perpetrators — disproportionately involving Asian men, many of Pakistani heritage — got away with it because of fears about inflaming community tensions.
And the Scottish Tories demanded the public inquiry into the scandal must also be expanded to cover Scotland.
Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie yesterday/today said: 'Now that the Labour Government has finally bowed to the huge public demand for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal it is essential that it is truly national in scope.
'That means extending the remit to include Scotland, where there have been well-documented cases of gangs responsible for the rape and sexual abuse of young women.'
The MP called on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to work with Nats chiefs on what is covered by the inquiry to all the 'voices of Scottish victims of these vile gangs' to be heard.
Mr Bowie added: 'We already know that vulnerable young women were appallingly let down by Labour-run councils, where it appears that partisan political considerations led to the cover-up of the issue.
Ethnicity of child sex abuse suspects will be logged after truth about Asian grooming gangs was 'dodged for YEARS'
'It's essential to uncover if sensitivities over the racial make-up of the perpetrators was a factor in the Scottish cases too.'
In 2020, it was revealed cops kept secret a huge asylum seeker grooming gang in Glasgow which had at least 44 victims.
All the perpetrators were asylum seekers from the Kurdish, Afghani, Egyptian, Moroccan, Turkish, Pakistani or Iraqi communities.
Speaking in Westminster, Baroness Casey said it was a 'matter for Scotland to decide' whether to take part.
She added: 'Criminals move to wherever they can get their prey. And with the internet, they do that even quicker and easier. I mean, it's an issue internationally, not just between the devolved nations.
'I think it is really important that across certainly Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, there's some join up around these sorts of issues.'
Baroness Casey also urged Scots not to think grooming gangs could not be taking place in Scotland.
She said: 'Don't just read this report and think it may not happen to you.'
The Home Office was contacted for comment.
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