Latest news with #childProtection
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Michael Gove: Whitehall officials tried to suppress grooming gangs scandal
Lord Gove has claimed that Whitehall officials tried to suppress details of the grooming gangs scandal. The former Cabinet minister said he overruled government and council officials who were seeking to block the publication of information about a victim in Rotherham. As the then education secretary, he said he rejected the attempted legal action on the basis that it was better to tell 'the truth'. Lord Gove also warned that the proposed structure of a new national inquiry into the scandal might limit its ability to scrutinise the failings of police and government at a national level. His comments, made on GB News, come days after the publication of a report by Baroness Casey which found that police and councils avoided pursuing child sex grooming gangs for fear of being viewed as racist. Even though there was evidence that a disproportionate number of Asian men had been responsible in such cases, their role was covered up by successive governments and authorities over concerns about raising community tensions, the review concluded. Lord Gove recalled a request by Rotherham council to block an investigation by Andrew Norfolk, a reporter for The Times newspaper, into the scandal in 2011 by mounting a legal challenge against his attempt to publish details of a 'particularly tragic case'. He said he had examined the material alongside Dominic Cummings, who was working in the Department for Education at the time, and some other staff. 'We contacted Rotherham council, and we said: 'Yes, we will intervene in this case, but on behalf of The Times, because it's absolutely vital that the truth be told',' Lord Gove said. 'It was absolutely the case that there were those who thought that it was appropriate for us not to intervene. 'So the documents in question revealed some details about one particular victim, and it was argued by the council, and by some officials who were sympathetic to their case, that revealing everything about the case might mean that other potential victims, other family members, might be adversely affected. 'And there was also an argument that the council itself was making improvements, and that as a result of these improvements being made, that would be imperilled potentially if there were adverse publicity. 'I think those arguments were made in good faith, but my view, Dominic Cummings's view, was that it was far more important that we told the truth.' He said he adopted the same approach to serious case reviews into the failings of councils, which were heavily censored until he intervened to require 'the greatest possible transparency'. Lord Gove said a proposed national inquiry into the scandal should be 'much more than what it might appear to be at the moment'. 'It appears that the Government may default and make the national inquiry simply a sort of umbrella for lots of specific local inquiries,' he said. 'There are as many as 50 towns and cities across the country in which these gangs have operated or continue to operate, there are failures in policing at a national level that need to be addressed. It is also the case that decisions made within the Home Office and other government departments do need to be scrutinised.' He added: 'One of the things about this whole story, right from the very beginning, has been that there have been people who, for admittedly noble reasons, because they didn't want to see the details being exploited by the very far-Right, have tried to manage the information.'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Remove decisions on lone child asylum seekers from Home Office, report says
Decisions relating to lone child asylum seekers should be removed from Home Office officials because of fundamental problems with the way they treat this vulnerable group, a report has found. The report calls for root-and-branch reform of the treatment of thousands of children who have fled persecution in their home countries and made hazardous journeys in search of safety, often crossing the Channel in a dinghy or concealing themselves in the back of a lorry. Once they arrive in the UK many are wrongly classified as adults by the Home Office and sent to adult accommodation where they may be exploited or locked up in adult immigration detention centres. Research by the Helen Bamber Foundation in the first half of 2024 in England and Scotland found 53% of young people initially told by the Home Office that they were adults were confirmed to be children by social worker assessments – at least 262 children. Researchers at the London School of Economics and University of Bedfordshire, in partnership with the South London Refugee Association, compiled the findings along with young people who have experienced the asylum system. The report says: The government should take the asylum decision-making away from the Home Office and give it to independent professionals who know about children and children's circumstances. Children and young people need independent legal guardians from the time they arrive in the UK. Decision-making processes should be faster so that children and young people do not have to spend years waiting to secure their status. Children should be subject to age disputes only where there is a significant reason to doubt their age and as a measure of last resort where other approaches have been exhausted. According to the report, one 17-year-old from Eritrea told researchers Home Office officials disputed their age and insisted they were five years older than the age they said they were. 'I was crying, and I was so depressed, I don't have any words to explain that, so I said, 'OK, just leave me alone please.' Then they took me back and then they took me for a third interview on the same day.' The children's commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said: 'Every child, regardless of where they are from or how they arrive in this country, has the right to safety, care and a chance to thrive. Children seeking asylum often arrive here alone, traumatised and at risk of exploitation, then face further distress through the uncertainty of confusing systems and long delays. 'Many of the experiences of children set out in this report mirror what children have told me as children's commissioner and my team who work closely with them, providing advocacy and giving them a voice. Every unaccompanied child seeking asylum must be cared for appropriately from the moment they arrive and be treated first and foremost as children by all services that interact with them.' Kama Petruczenko, a senior policy analyst at the Refugee Council, which provides support for unaccompanied child asylum seekers, said: 'Young people who come to Britain in a desperate bid to be safe are invariably frightened and traumatised after all they have endured. They must be treated with dignity and humanity while the government acts as their corporate parent. 'Too often they face delay after delay at the hands of an asylum system beset by chronic backlog. A culture of disbelief around age means young people are often wrongly treated as an adult and deprived the support they need as a child.' The report, examining the needs of this group of children and young people in London, where around a third of these children across England, are accommodated, was commissioned by London Councils and the Association of London Directors of Children's Services. The Home Office has been approached for comment.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Televise grooming gang inquiry given public interest, Labour peer urges
A nationwide inquiry into child grooming gangs should be televised given the public interest, a former top Labour aide has urged the Government. Broadcaster Baroness Hazarika, who was previously a political adviser to former prime minister Gordon Brown, Baroness Harman and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, also called for a two-year time limit on the probe, arguing that 'justice delayed is justice denied'. Speaking in Parliament, the Muslim Labour peer again apologised for the crimes carried out by 'wicked, wicked men' and said many in her community felt 'deeply ashamed'. Responding, Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint also said he would like to see the inquiry 'speeded up', but this would be subject to discussion with the chairperson, which the Government was looking to swiftly recruit. The full-scale investigation was announced by the Prime Minister following a major review by Baroness Casey into grooming gangs, leading to accusations of a U-turn by Tory critics. Her report, published on Monday, found the ethnicity of perpetrators had been 'shied away from', with data not recorded for two-thirds of offenders. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper claimed officials had dodged the issue of ethnicity among the groups of sex offenders for fear of being called racist, even though available data showed suspects were disproportionately likely to be Asian men. Lord Hanson told peers on Wednesday: 'The Government is determined to root out the horrific crimes of grooming gangs and secure justice for victims.' He pointed out all 12 recommendations made by Lady Casey had been accepted by the administration, including the establishment of a national probe. The minister added: 'The inquiry will be time limited, have statutory powers to direct targeted investigations into local areas with the aim of holding institutions to account for current and historic failures in their response to group-based child sexual exploitation.' Lady Hazarika said: 'I welcome this inquiry. And I just wanted to say that, as a Muslim woman, I want to profoundly apologise for what these wicked, wicked men have done to white working class girls. 'Many of us feel deeply ashamed, and let's not call them grooming gangs. These are rape gangs which operated on an industrial level. 'I hope the inquiry will also hear the voices of Muslim girls who were also abused by these animals.' She added: 'The minister talks about a time limit. Could the inquiry be capped at two years because justice delayed is justice denied? 'Given the public interest, can this inquiry be televised? 'And finally, given the incredible work that Baroness Casey has done, can she be appointed the chair? Because in a world of appalling systemic failure, she is the only public figure that many victims trust.' Lord Hanson said: 'She asks about the timescale for the inquiry, Baroness Casey has indicated it would be around three years. I would like to see it speeded up, but we have to discuss that matter with the potential chair of the inquiry. 'And the Government intends to try to recruit the potential chair of the inquiry as a matter of some speed, and we are in the process of doing that now. 'Baroness Casey herself is currently now going to be engaged in a further report, but we will appoint a chair as soon as possible.' He added: 'As to the matter of televising the proceedings, again if she will bear with me, that again will be a matter of discussion with the chair to determine. 'We want to ensure that we take action speedily on this issue.' He pointed out other recommendation made by Lady Casey would be implemented 'in very short order'. These included making it mandatory to collect ethnicity and nationality data of all suspects in child sexual abuse cases, a change in the law so that all adult sex with under-16s was considered rape, and a review of the criminal records of exploitation victims.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Televise grooming gang inquiry given public interest, Labour peer urges
A nationwide inquiry into child grooming gangs should be televised given the public interest, a former top Labour aide has urged the Government. Broadcaster Baroness Hazarika, who was previously a political adviser to former prime minister Gordon Brown, Baroness Harman and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, also called for a two-year time limit on the probe, arguing that 'justice delayed is justice denied'. Speaking in Parliament, the Muslim Labour peer again apologised for the crimes carried out by 'wicked, wicked men' and said many in her community felt 'deeply ashamed'. Responding, Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint also said he would like to see the inquiry 'speeded up', but this would be subject to discussion with the chairperson, which the Government was looking to swiftly recruit. The full-scale investigation was announced by the Prime Minister following a major review by Baroness Casey into grooming gangs, leading to accusations of a U-turn by Tory critics. Her report, published on Monday, found the ethnicity of perpetrators had been 'shied away from', with data not recorded for two-thirds of offenders. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper claimed officials had dodged the issue of ethnicity among the groups of sex offenders for fear of being called racist, even though available data showed suspects were disproportionately likely to be Asian men. Lord Hanson told peers on Wednesday: 'The Government is determined to root out the horrific crimes of grooming gangs and secure justice for victims.' He pointed out all 12 recommendations made by Lady Casey had been accepted by the administration, including the establishment of a national probe. The minister added: 'The inquiry will be time limited, have statutory powers to direct targeted investigations into local areas with the aim of holding institutions to account for current and historic failures in their response to group-based child sexual exploitation.' Lady Hazarika said: 'I welcome this inquiry. And I just wanted to say that, as a Muslim woman, I want to profoundly apologise for what these wicked, wicked men have done to white working class girls. 'Many of us feel deeply ashamed, and let's not call them grooming gangs. These are rape gangs which operated on an industrial level. 'I hope the inquiry will also hear the voices of Muslim girls who were also abused by these animals.' She added: 'The minister talks about a time limit. Could the inquiry be capped at two years because justice delayed is justice denied? 'Given the public interest, can this inquiry be televised? 'And finally, given the incredible work that Baroness Casey has done, can she be appointed the chair? Because in a world of appalling systemic failure, she is the only public figure that many victims trust.' Lord Hanson said: 'She asks about the timescale for the inquiry, Baroness Casey has indicated it would be around three years. I would like to see it speeded up, but we have to discuss that matter with the potential chair of the inquiry. 'And the Government intends to try to recruit the potential chair of the inquiry as a matter of some speed, and we are in the process of doing that now. 'Baroness Casey herself is currently now going to be engaged in a further report, but we will appoint a chair as soon as possible.' He added: 'As to the matter of televising the proceedings, again if she will bear with me, that again will be a matter of discussion with the chair to determine. 'We want to ensure that we take action speedily on this issue.' He pointed out other recommendation made by Lady Casey would be implemented 'in very short order'. These included making it mandatory to collect ethnicity and nationality data of all suspects in child sexual abuse cases, a change in the law so that all adult sex with under-16s was considered rape, and a review of the criminal records of exploitation victims.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
These are not ‘Asian' grooming gangs, they are Kashmiri Muslim
When Baroness Casey appeared yesterday before a select committee to answer questions about her landmark report into group-based child sexual exploitation, there was something she was particularly keen to impress upon the MPs: when it comes to dealing with the nationwide scourge of grooming gangs, questions of ethnicity have been avoided for too long. Her 200-page audit on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse in England found that authorities, from the police to local councils, systematically shied away from pursuing child sex grooming gangs for fear of inflaming community tensions or being perceived as racist. Casey's passion for the subject is evident. The report's key finding, which many have known for some time, is that men of Pakistani origin are over-represented in grooming gangs which have targeted young white-British girls in towns and cities from Manchester to Rotherham. As someone who believes in strong law and order, I have found the level of institutional paralysis over tackling the grooming gangs – for fears of being accused of racism and Islamophobia – to be a grand national failure. In a particularly eye-popping passage in Casey's report, she reveals how the word 'Pakistani' was Tippexed out of one child victim's file. While there is no doubt that a diversity of ethnicities and faiths are involved in these gangs, the use of the term 'Asian' in connection to them has long masked the ever-mounting evidence that it is men of Pakistani Muslim origin specifically who are vastly overrepresented among perpetrators of these heinous sex crimes. A 2020 academic study by professors Kish Bhatti-Sinclair and Charles Sutcliffe, based on data consisting of 498 defendants across 73 prosecutions between 1997 and 2017, found that Muslims – particularly Pakistanis – dominated prosecutions for group-localised child sexual exploitation (GLCSE). Indeed, it concluded that Pakistani and Muslim proportions of the local population are 'powerful variables' in explaining the level of GLCSE prosecutions in an area. Meanwhile, the proportion of Bangladeshis and Indians in a local area had no effect. In fact, the proportion of Hindus in a local area had a negative impact on the levels of GLCSE prosecutions. Using the term 'Asian' is incredibly unhelpful in this context. Gujarati Hindus, Goan Catholics, and Punjabi Sikhs should not be conflated with the men perpetrating these crimes. It is time for us to shine a light on the poorly integrated Muslim communities originating from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, which have formed patriarchal clans along kinship lines – known as 'biraderi'. These Mirpuri grooming gangs have shown an ugly side of family solidarity, multi-generational cohesion and tight-knit community networks: this is the dark underbelly of modern multicultural Britain. I suspect much of Britain's law-abiding population simply cannot wrap their heads around the numbers involved in the grooming-gangs scandal – which perhaps explains some of the denial. After all, some accounts of this sexual violence and brutality would not be out of place in history books on the campaign of systematic rape and torture against Bangladeshi women and girls by the Pakistani forces forces during the 1971 Liberation War. But, as it has taken root in dozens of cities and towns across England, it is something we must face up to as a society. The national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs announced by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, must examine how cultural codes – such as so-called 'community protection' – have enabled group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse. There is no space for political correctness or mollycoddling particular minorities. If we are serious about delivering justice for the victims, no stone should be left unturned.
