New £10m grooming gang inquiries will see cops reopen cold cases – but Labour STILL refuses national investigation
GROOMING gang inquiries launched by local authorities will be given government backing, the Home Secretary announced last night in a bid to take the heat off Labour.
Yvette Cooper stopped short of announcing a full-fat national probe into the child rape scandal but unveiled a £10million package of fresh support.
It includes a three-month “rapid audit” into the scale of sexual exploitation of kids that will examine the “cultural and societal drivers for this type of offending”.
The lightning report by Baroness Louise Casey will also look at the specific “ethnic groups” involved. Most of the abuse is believed to have been done by men of Pakistani heritage.
Ms Cooper has also urged police forces to reopen cold cases so suspected abusers who dodged prison can be investigated once again.
She told MPs that £10million new funding will be earmarked to flush out existing paedophile rings and support victims.
Labour has refused to launch a statutory national inquiry despite pressure from the Tories, Reform and Elon Musk.
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted victims want action now, rather than another drawn-out inquiry from the government.
Today’s softening of that position comes after the two Labour MPs for Rotherham and Rochdale – the epicentres of the scandal – backed a national inquiry.
Ms Cooper committed to give financial backing to council-led probes of the kind carried out in Telford.
Oldham Council – which recently demanded a national inquiry – will be among the local areas to pilot an inquiry.
The Home Secretary said: “Nothing matters more than the safety of our children.
“Yet for too long, this horrific abuse was allowed to continue. The victims were ignored. The perpetrators were left unpunished. Too many people looked the other way.
And even when these shocking crimes were brought to light, and national inquiries were commissioned to get to the truth, the resulting reports were left on the shelf as their recommendations gathered dust.”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp gave the package short shrift, saying: “The Government’s announcement of just five local rape gang Inquiries is totally inadequate.
“Up to 50 towns are affected. What about the rest – don’t they matter?
“And it appears these local Inquiries won’t have the legal powers under the Inquiry Act 2005 to compel witnesses to attend, take evidence under oath and requisition written evidence.
“Lack of these powers is why the Chairs of the Manchester Inquiries are reported to have reigned last year.
“Victims, the public and even Labour Mayor Andy Burnham want a full national public inquiry with the powers needed to compel evidence. So do I.”