LONDON (AP) — The British government said Thursday it will support a series of field investigations into cases of systematic child sexual abuse, largely in the wake of an uproar sparked by some of the world’s wealthiest people. Elon Musk.
In a statement to MPs, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government would authorize what she called a “rapid audit” into the “current scale and nature of gang exploitation across the country” and make recommendations. He also admitted that.
The issue of so-called ‘grooming gangs’ (also known as ‘rape gangs’ in some quarters) has risen to the political agenda in the UK. Musk recently adopted the X platform He highlighted the problem and blamed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Mr Musk said Mr Starmer had agreed to do this despite requests from the local authority in Oldham, a town in northern England where police found girls under 18 were sexually exploited by a group of men in the 2000s and 2010s. criticized for not supporting a national inquiry into the matter. Musk also accused Starmer of failing to bring perpetrators to justice when he served as England’s chief prosecutor from 2008 to 2013, a charge the prime minister strongly denies.
The incident in Oldham, and similar incidents in several other towns, mainly involved white girls who were abused by men of mainly Pakistani descent, and the issue has been denounced by far-right activists as child sex offenders. It has been used to link abuse to immigration and to accuse politicians of covering up sexual assault. They commit crimes because they are afraid of being seen as racist.
The decision to support field investigations in Oldham and four other areas marks a change in the Government’s position. The agency had previously said there was no need for further investigation following a series of previous investigations, both local and national.
“I hope this is a proper investigation,” Musk told X after the government’s decision.
Despite a seven-year inquiry under the previous Conservative government, many of the party’s 20 recommendations for 2022, including compensation for abuse victims, have yet to be implemented.
Mr Cooper confirmed on Thursday that the government would act as quickly as possible, adding that “much valuable time has already been lost” since the final report was published and that “it will cause further trauma to many victims and survivors.” There is,” he added.
Mr Cooper said the government would provide 10 million pounds ($12.5 million) to support the announcement, half of which would go towards the investigation.
“As we have seen, effective local research can delve into far more local details, provide more locally relevant answers, and bring about change than long-term national surveys can provide. “You can,” she said.
The main opposition party, the Conservative Party, argued that Mr Cooper’s measures were not enough as around 50 areas were affected by gang grooming. He also expressed concern that local inquiries may not be able to summon witnesses, which would have been possible in a national investigation.
