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| Rishi Sunak criticises political correctness over grooming gangs | Rishi Sunak criticises political correctness over grooming gangs |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rishi Sunak is to set out plans for a police taskforce to tackle grooming gangs, as he said political correctness had hindered efforts. | Rishi Sunak is to set out plans for a police taskforce to tackle grooming gangs, as he said political correctness had hindered efforts. |
| Specialist officers will be sent to help local forces with their investigations, the government said. | Specialist officers will be sent to help local forces with their investigations, the government said. |
| It said ethnicity data will help ensure abusers do not evade justice due to "cultural sensitivities". | It said ethnicity data will help ensure abusers do not evade justice due to "cultural sensitivities". |
| Labour said it called for expanded police specialist teams nearly a decade ago but the government "failed to act". | Labour said it called for expanded police specialist teams nearly a decade ago but the government "failed to act". |
| The prime minister will be in Leeds and Greater Manchester on Monday to meet victims and local police, and to mark the launch of the taskforce, which will be supported by the National Crime Agency. | The prime minister will be in Leeds and Greater Manchester on Monday to meet victims and local police, and to mark the launch of the taskforce, which will be supported by the National Crime Agency. |
| Ahead of the launch, Mr Sunak said: "For too long, political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women. | |
| "We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs." | "We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs." |
| The plans also include introducing legislation to make membership of a grooming gang an aggravating factor during sentencing, Downing Street said. | The plans also include introducing legislation to make membership of a grooming gang an aggravating factor during sentencing, Downing Street said. |
| And it said better data on the make up of grooming gangs, including ethnicity, would also be used to help ensure suspects "cannot hide behind cultural sensitivities as a way to evade justice". | And it said better data on the make up of grooming gangs, including ethnicity, would also be used to help ensure suspects "cannot hide behind cultural sensitivities as a way to evade justice". |
| But Sabah Kaiser, ethnic minority ambassador to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said it was "very, very dangerous" to turn child sexual abuse "into a matter of colour". | But Sabah Kaiser, ethnic minority ambassador to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said it was "very, very dangerous" to turn child sexual abuse "into a matter of colour". |
| She told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "Child sexual abuse does not have a skin colour, it doesn't have a religion, it doesn't have a culture. Child sexual abuse does not discriminate." | She told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "Child sexual abuse does not have a skin colour, it doesn't have a religion, it doesn't have a culture. Child sexual abuse does not discriminate." |
| The government may be accused of deploying police resources without having a full understanding of the scale of the problem. | |
| Last year a report by inquiry found the police and councils still do not understand the risk of organised gangs grooming children in their areas and are not collecting data which would help identify paedophiles and their ethnic background. | |
| Police and councils failing on grooming - report | |
| It found that, in some cases, authorities might be potentially downplaying the scale of abuse, and that local authorities "don't want to be labelled another Rochdale or Rotherham" - referring to the high-profile grooming gangs cases. | |
| Signs of abuse were found in six areas studied by the inquiry, but police forces generally could not provide evidence about the extent of the problem. | |
| Over years of hearings and research IICSA also found child abuse existed in a wide range of contexts, ranging from religious institutions, schools, the care system, and online, which are not covered by today's announcement. | |
| There is also a huge backlog in cases going through the courts, which particularly affects victims of child abuse who sometimes have to wait years, while dealing with the trauma their experience has created. | |
| Sir Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said it was "really important that by raising an issue such as race we don't create other blind spots". | Sir Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said it was "really important that by raising an issue such as race we don't create other blind spots". |
| He told BBC Breakfast: "Because for sure there are many, many predators, who prey on vulnerable children, who are from a range of cultural backgrounds. | He told BBC Breakfast: "Because for sure there are many, many predators, who prey on vulnerable children, who are from a range of cultural backgrounds. |
| "And there are many victims, who are not white girls, who deserve our attention and support. | "And there are many victims, who are not white girls, who deserve our attention and support. |
| "So my plea would be is that we are blind to nothing as we address issues of child sexual abuse." | "So my plea would be is that we are blind to nothing as we address issues of child sexual abuse." |
| It comes after the government said people who work with children in England will be legally required to report child sexual abuse or face prosecution, under its plans. | It comes after the government said people who work with children in England will be legally required to report child sexual abuse or face prosecution, under its plans. |
| Not reporting child abuse must be crime – inquiry | Not reporting child abuse must be crime – inquiry |
| The move - which is subject to a consultation - was recommended last year by IICSA. | The move - which is subject to a consultation - was recommended last year by IICSA. |
| Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the BBC that while the fault lay with the perpetrators for "carrying out heinous and vile acts of depravity", there was also "a wilful turning of the blind eye" among authorities. | |
| She said that in towns around the country, "vulnerable white girls living in troubled circumstances have been abused, drugged, raped, and exploited" by networks of gangs of rapists, which she claimed were "overwhelmingly" made up of British-Pakistani males. | She said that in towns around the country, "vulnerable white girls living in troubled circumstances have been abused, drugged, raped, and exploited" by networks of gangs of rapists, which she claimed were "overwhelmingly" made up of British-Pakistani males. |
| Ms Braverman added that "cultural sensitivities" and concerns about "being called bigoted" had played a role in high-profile abuse scandals including in Rochdale and Rotherham. | Ms Braverman added that "cultural sensitivities" and concerns about "being called bigoted" had played a role in high-profile abuse scandals including in Rochdale and Rotherham. |
| An independent inquiry found at least 1,400 children had been subjected to sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, with the perpetrators predominantly men of Pakistani heritage. | An independent inquiry found at least 1,400 children had been subjected to sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, with the perpetrators predominantly men of Pakistani heritage. |
| Later, Home Office-commissioned research found that, more generally, there was not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs were more likely to be Asian or black than other ethnicities. | Later, Home Office-commissioned research found that, more generally, there was not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs were more likely to be Asian or black than other ethnicities. |
| Dr Ella Cockbain, associate professor at University College London's Department of Security and Crime Science, said the government was "disregarding and contradicting" its own research. | Dr Ella Cockbain, associate professor at University College London's Department of Security and Crime Science, said the government was "disregarding and contradicting" its own research. |
| She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "She (Ms Braverman) is choosing to mainstream hard-right talking points, and to push discredited stereotypes. "That is really dangerous and reductive. "It allows other offenders to get away with abuse." | She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "She (Ms Braverman) is choosing to mainstream hard-right talking points, and to push discredited stereotypes. "That is really dangerous and reductive. "It allows other offenders to get away with abuse." |
| The Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, called Ms Braverman's comments a "dog whistle" - meaning a coded message designed to appeal to a certain group. | The Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, called Ms Braverman's comments a "dog whistle" - meaning a coded message designed to appeal to a certain group. |
| Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC the government's plans were "far too inadequate for the scale of the problem" and accused ministers of "chasing headlines". | |
| She appeared to back the collection of ethnicity data, saying widespread data collection should be happening, but went on to say: "The government has to show some proper leadership and the Home Office hasn't been showing that leadership". | She appeared to back the collection of ethnicity data, saying widespread data collection should be happening, but went on to say: "The government has to show some proper leadership and the Home Office hasn't been showing that leadership". |
| The Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said they supported steps to crack down on those responsible, but said: "Unless the government tackles the backlog in our courts and restores community policing, too many criminals will continue to evade justice." | The Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said they supported steps to crack down on those responsible, but said: "Unless the government tackles the backlog in our courts and restores community policing, too many criminals will continue to evade justice." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Child abuse | Child abuse |
| Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse | Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse |