12 hours ago
Baroness Casey's findings on grooming gangs set to be announced
Update:
Date: 08:10 BST
Title: Shadow home secretary says authorities 'covered up' grooming gangs
Content: Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp says it is "critical" to get to the truth about police forces and local authorities' involvement in grooming gangs.
"They deliberately covered up these appalling crimes, the rape of young girls, predominantly those from vulnerable backgrounds," he tells BBC Breakfast.
He adds that authorities covered up these crimes because they were "more interested in race relations, than they were in protecting young girls".
Philip says Prime Minister Keir Starmer only announced the national inquiry into grooming gangs because the government had been "forced" to due to the Casey report being published.
Starmer told reporters at the weekend: "I've never said we should not look again at any issue." He added that Baroness Casey had originally thought a new inquiry was not necessary, but she had changed her mind having looked into it in recent months.
Update:
Date: 07:55 BST
Title: How did Elon Musk get involved?
Content: At the start of this year, the issue of grooming gangs was amplified by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has millions of social media followers.
Musk made a number of attacks on X including accusing Sir Keir Starmer of being "complicit in the rape of Britain" during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) between 2008 and 2013.
Speaking in January, Starmer said his record was there for all to see. While he was DPP he introduced a special prosecutor for child abuse and sexual exploitation.
Starmer also attacked those who were "spreading lies and misinformation".
The row was reignited after it was reported that the government had rejected Oldham Council's request for a government-led inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation in the town, in favour of a locally-led investigation.
Update:
Date: 07:46 BST
Title: Previous Inquiry chair highlighted abuse 'epidemic'
Content: In October 2022, child protection expert Prof Alexis Jay finished a seven-year inquiry into the countless ways children had been sexually abused in England and Wales.
The independent inquiry carried out 15 investigations, including into grooming gangs and abuse in schools and church settings.
She warned there was an "epidemic that left thousands of victims in its poisonous wake". She also made 20 recommendations to reduce child suffering.
These included setting up a national child protection authority, implementing tighter controls on who can work with vulnerable children and making not reporting abuse a criminal offence.
Professor Jay was also behind a 2014 report which found 1,400 underage girls, some as young as 11, had been abused between 1997 and 2013 in Rotherham.
Update:
Date: 07:43 BST
Title: PM says it's 'right' to hold national inquiry
Content: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Saturday there would be a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales.
The move was announced ahead of the publication of Baroness Louise Casey's report into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.
"She's come to the view there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she's seen," Sir Keir told reporters over the weekend.
"I've read every single word of her report, and I'm going to accept her recommendation," he added.
Earlier this year, the government dismissed calls for a national inquiry on the basis the issue had already been examined during a lengthy inquiry led by Professor Alexis Jay in 2022.
Update:
Date: 07:36 BST
Title: Baroness Casey's findings on grooming gangs set to be announced
Content: Baroness Louise Casey's findings on grooming gangs are set to be published, after the prime minister announced a new national inquiry.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to give a statement to the Commons over the report this afternoon.
Meanwhile, the National Crime Agency said it would carry out a nationwide operation to target and jail predators who have sexually exploited children as part of a grooming gang, the Home Office says.
Sir Keir Starmer announced on Saturday there would be a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs covering England and Wales.
Stay with us for live updates ahead of the report being published.
