Keir Starmer announces inquiry into grooming gangs who sexually exploited girls

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday said he would back a national inquiry into grooming gangs that sexually abused thousands of girls across the country, marking a significant shift in the government's stance on the issue.Starmer's announcement comes after Louise Casey, a former senior government official, conducted a "rapid audit" of the current scale and nature of gang-based child sexual exploitation in Britain. The audit had been commissioned in January by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper amid growing public pressure and renewed scrutiny of past failures by authorities.advertisementSpeaking to reporters, Starmer said Casey had initially believed there was no need for a new national inquiry, but changed her position after reviewing the evidence. "She has looked at the material she has looked at and she has come to the view that there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she has seen," Starmer said. "I have read every single word of her report and I am going to accept her recommendation."
The issue of grooming gangs has long been a deeply sensitive and politically charged subject in the UK. The scandal, which came to light over a decade ago, exposed how gangs-many composed predominantly of Pakistani men-had systematically groomed, trafficked, and raped young white girls, often in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford.Numerous investigations later revealed that local authorities and police had failed to act on reports of abuse for years, often out of fear of being accused of racism or stoking community tensions.advertisementSeveral girls in the UK were befriended by young Muslim men and then passed on to older men who would become their boyfriends. What followed was gang rapes and several degrees of other forms of violence.These grooming gangs had a pattern: girls as young as 10-year-old girls in Rotherham, Oldham and other areas were lured by Pakistani-origin men, then taken to older men who would control and manipulate them. These young girls would then be gang-raped by these men and their relatives and friends for years. The authorities also did not act when these women reported their abuse as they allegedly tried to avoid hurting cultural sensitivities in the UK.The matter returned to the spotlight earlier this year after US tech billionaire Elon Musk accused the British government of not doing enough to address the historic and ongoing exploitation of vulnerable girls. His comments, shared widely on social media, reignited public outrage and prompted renewed calls for a comprehensive and independent inquiry.Until now, the Labour government had resisted demands for a full statutory review, arguing that numerous local and national investigations had already been carried out.Trending Reel

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

First Post

an hour ago

• First Post

Pro-Palestinian protests take Europe by storm as West Asia crisis continues to escalate

There have been monthly protests in the British capital since the start of the 20-month-long war between Israel and Hamas, which has ravaged Gaza read more Protesters wave Palestinian and Iranian flags and hold placards reading "Stop arming Israel" as they gather in Russell Square to take part in a march through central London, on June 21, 2025. AFP Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in European cities Saturday calling for an end to the war in Gaza, amid concerns the Iran-Israel conflict could spark wider regional devastation. In London, AFP journalists saw tens of thousands of protesters, who waved Palestinian flags as they marched through the British capital clad in keffiyeh scarves. In Berlin, more than 10,000 people gathered in the centre of the city in support of Gaza, according to police figures. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And in the Swiss capital Bern, march organisers estimated that 20,000 people rallied in front of the national parliament, urging the government to back a ceasefire. There have been monthly protests in the British capital since the start of the 20-month-long war between Israel and Hamas, which has ravaged Gaza. This Saturday, protesters there carried signs including 'Stop arming Israel' and 'No war on Iran' as they marched in the sweltering heat. 'It's important to remember that people are suffering in Gaza. I fear all the focus will be on Iran now,' said 34-year-old Harry Baker. 'I don't have great love for the Iranian regime, but we are now in a dangerous situation.' This was his third pro-Palestinian protest, he added. Regional fears Saturday's marches comes amid heightened global tensions as the United States mulls joining Israel's strikes against Iran. Tehran said Saturday that more than 400 people had been killed in Iran since Israel launched strikes last week claiming its arch-foe was close to acquiring a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. Some 25 people have been killed in Israel, according to official figures. One marcher in London, a 31-year-old Iranian student who did not want to share her name, told AFP she had family in Iran and was 'scared'. 'I'm worried about my country. I know the regime is not good but it's still my country. I'm scared,' she said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gaza is suffering from famine-like conditions according to UN agencies in the region following an Israeli aid blockade. Gaza's civil defence agency has reported that hundreds have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach the US- and Israeli-backed aid distribution sites. 'People need to keep their eyes on Gaza. That's where the genocide is happening,' said 60-year-old protester Nicky Marcus. 'Scared' In Berlin, demonstrators gathered mid-afternoon close to the parliament, some chanting 'Germany finances, Israel bombs'. 'You can't sit on the sofa and be silent. Now is the time when we all need to speak up,' said protester Gundula, who did not want to give her second name. For Marwan Radwan, the point of the protest was to bring attention to the 'genocide currently taking place' and the 'dirty work' being done by the German government. In Bern, demonstrators carried banners calling on the federal government to intervene in the war in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinians. The rally there was called by organisations including Amnesty International, the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Swiss Trade Union Federation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Slogans included 'Stop the occupation', 'Stop the starvation, stop the violence', and 'Right to self-determination'. Some marchers chanted: 'We are all the children of Gaza'. The overall death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached at least 55,637 people, according to the health ministry. Israel has denied it is carrying out a genocide and says it aims to wipe out Hamas after the Islamist group's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people.

Indian Express

2 hours ago

• Indian Express

In new twist to Kerala ‘moral policing' case, woman's family supports SDPI suspects

The suicide of a woman in Kerala's Kannur after a mob allegedly humiliated her for speaking to her male friend in public has now taken a new turn, with the woman's family supporting the suspects in the case. Raseena, a 40-year-old mother of three children, was found dead at her house in Kannur Tuesday — two days after some members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) allegedly conducted a 'mob trial' after they found her speaking to a male friend in public. The SDPI is the political wing of banned Muslim outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). Based the victim's suicide note, police had arrested three SDPI workers, C Mubasheer, 28, K A Faisal, 34 and V K Rafnas, 24. The suspects are all natives of Parambayi and the nearby areas at Vengad – a stronghold of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kannur. Rafnas is a distant relative of Raseena's. On Saturday, police registered yet another case against the arrested SDPI workers and two others after the woman's male friend, Raheesh Perikkandi, approached them accusing the gang of having abducted and assaulted him, even threatening to leak photos from his phone. Meanwhile, as police continue to investigate the allegations, Raseena's father A Muhammed — a CPI(M) member – approached the police accusing Raheesh of pushing his daughter to the extremes by 'pocketing her gold ornaments and cash'. He also claimed that the family was unaware of their friendship. 'One of the arrested persons is a close relative of my wife Fathima. They had intervened with good intentions. Her gold ornaments worth 40 sovereigns are missing. We have handed over her mobile phone to the police to find the truth,' he said, adding that Rasheesh had 'taken advantage of the discord in her family and tried to blackmail her' by leaking private photos. On its part, the police said it was looking into both complaints. 'The suicide note recovered from the woman did not contain any reference to her friend, but had stated that she was forced to end life due to the humiliation caused by the arrested persons,' Thalassery police sub-divisional officer P B Kiran said. He further said: 'The case, which was initially registered for unnatural death, has been altered to abetment of suicide. We are examining the complaint from the woman's family and also looking into whether they are under pressure to support the arrested people. The case registered on the complaint of the male friend against the arrested also will be probed as part of the suicide case.' Meanwhile, the issue has taken a political turn, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s Kannur district secretary K K Ragesh claiming that moral policing 'was part of their [SDPI's] agenda to establish Islamic regime'. 'The SDPI wants to impose Talibanism, and society should speak up against this. The incident has shown the ugly face of the organisation, which issues fatwa against women. The woman ended life following a mob trial, and those who tried her have a Taliban mentality. They are still insulting the woman and her family,' he said Saturday. But the SDPI maintains the innocence of the suspects, who allegedly took Raheesh to the outfit's local office for questioning. 'When they saw the woman and the youth, they had summoned the relatives of the woman. The SDPI gave its office for discussions. The arrested youth were familiar with her issues and hence they intervened,' SDPI Kannur district president Basheer Kannadiparamba said.

Hindustan Times

2 hours ago

• Hindustan Times

Pahalgam probe: In hunt for gunmen, 2 possibilities on radar

New Delhi: The manhunt for the Pahalgam attackers continues with no arrests since the April 22 assault at Baisaran meadow. (PTI) Indian security forces are pursuing two theories about the whereabouts of three terrorists who killed 26 tourists in Kashmir two months ago, with officials divided over whether the attackers remain in hiding or have fled to Pakistan. The manhunt for the Pahalgam attackers continues with no arrests since the April 22 assault at Baisaran meadow, according to three security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. Authorities have identified the suspected attackers as Hashim Musa, also known as Suleiman, and Ali Bhai, also called Talha Bhai — both Pakistani nationals — and local operative Adil Hussain Thokker. The government has offered rewards of ₹ 20 lakh for each suspect. Initial eyewitness accounts suggested four to five terrorists could have been involved, though security forces have so far identified these three. Security agencies are split between two assessments of the terrorists' location, the officials said, citing these as based on 'tell-tale signs' and 'intelligence assessments'. The first theory suggests the same group was involved in a May 22 gun battle with security forces in Kishtwar's dense forests, where one army soldier was killed and two others wounded. Officials believe the attackers then fled deeper into the jungle towards the Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban border region and may have crossed into Pakistan. The second assessment holds that the terrorists remain hidden in the Tral ridge area, avoiding electronic communication with Pakistani handlers or local contacts. 'Both theories are based on intelligence assessments and have been discussed in detail by the Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir police,' said one official. 'But there is no definite answer.' Most security officials favour the second theory, citing heavy troop deployment near the border following the attack and continuous satellite surveillance. The National Investigation Agency, which is formally investigating the case, has questioned hundreds of people over two months, including suspected collaborators, pony operators, vendors and tourism workers. Investigators have also examined videos and photographs taken by families at Baisaran that day. Since the April attack, security forces have killed six terrorists in separate encounters across Kashmir, but the Pahalgam attackers remain at large. The Resistance Front, a proxy group for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba organisation, claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian agencies say the group is a front used by Pakistan to avoid international sanctions. As first reported by HT on April 24, intelligence agencies traced the attack's digital communications to safe houses in Muzaffarabad and Karachi, establishing Pakistani involvement in what officials described as similar to the control room-operated 2008 Mumbai attacks. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7, bombing nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in pre-dawn strikes that killed at least 100 militants. The operation sparked four days of cross-border fighting involving fighter jets, missiles and artillery. On the night of May 9-10, the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations before hostilities ended on May 10. Last week, the Financial Action Task Force condemned the Pahalgam attack, saying such operations require significant funding and money transfer capabilities between terrorist supporters. India also raised the attack at a United Nations meeting in Vienna last month, accusing Pakistan-based groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad of orchestrating attacks on Indian soil.