Labour has come under fire after refusing to hold a public inquiry into historic sexual abuse by grooming gangs in Oldham.

Been out so catching up. Annibach my post supporting dedicated social workers (and police) in no way suggested these people are beyond getting things wrong.
A witchunt against decent people and decent Muslims won’t add anything positive (i stress I’m not accusing annie of that)

Yes there are Muslim social workers. My experience - the women were well aware of sexual abuse and oppression within their own community.

I’m beyond irritated that the conservatives had 14nyears in which to set up a national inquiry but only now see it as necessary. It isn’t.

Musk is a strange individual. Best ignored

Yes Dickens with all party support the previous government set up this task force within the police as a result of previous enquiries. Set up 2023, this report early 2024

www.gov.uk/government/news/grooming-gangs-taskforce-arrests-hundreds-in-first-year

*Grooming Gangs Taskforce arrests hundreds in first year
A dedicated police taskforce set up to bring down grooming gangs has supported police forces in England and Wales to make hundreds of arrests in its first year*

Its early days as the task force is 400.

So whats needed to follow recommendations of the inquiries is further work within police and other agencies that work together.

There is every need to put pressure on for more support, but there are no need for further inquiries to establish what needs to be done, and the people who worked so hard and stood up for victims have made clear this is the way forward.

It appears the calls for an enquiry now are politically motivated as regards the past not directed to helping children now or in the future. Blame laying.

The Conservatories had 14 years to launch an inquiry and now they no longer hold power they are complaining that it is long overdue. Talk about the Pot calling the kettle black.

Musk needs to keep his nose firmly out of business that he has nothing to do with. Just because the man has money, he seems to believe that gives him a voice.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Perhaps there wouldn’t be an outcry for a public inquiry if even SOME of the 20 recommendations put forward 2years ago had been implemented!

Why haven’t they been?
Any inquiry won’t have been cheap.

A waste of taxpayers money then?

I'm not 100% sure but I think there is now a 'special task force' which helps local police investigations (which perhaps was one of the recommendations) - I assume it is an 'elite' force which can navigate in a way that a local investigation might not be able to do... but I'm really not sure.

There was a also a 'move' to make those who were working in organisations / institutions legally responsible for reporting child sexual abuse or face prosecution. But I really don't know how that panned out.

Maybe Wyllow knows?

It seems very little though when considering the magnitude of the abuse, the complexity of the issues surrounding it.

For me, one of the most distressing aspects that this Inquiry revealed was that children / young people - girls / young women were simply not believed when they reported the abuse and even, in some instances, actually blamed for it, presumably when they were believed.

How can anyone lay the blame on a child under the age of consent (or even over it) when an adult - maybe in his 30s, 40s or 50s coerces them into sex? We know that young people's brains are not fully developed until they are actually in their 20s and yet they are somehow expected to be able to understand and navigate the adult world and to be aware of the ulterior motives, the deception, the sleazy aspects of human nature...

It's sickening.

Some people understand that complex problems are rarely solved by creating cartoon goodies and baddies.

Jeanathome

Susieq62

There are some people on GN who do not have the first idea of how inquiries work , the time they take, the money they cost, the effects they have on the people involved
Musk, Farage, Trump are very dangerous spiteful men and those on GN who support/like their views need to have a long hard think and cast their minds back Moseley and Black shirts! My grandad protested then and I protest now !

Brava

It frightens me that people can’t see how dangerous these people are ( and I would go further and include people like Braverman…).

Susieq62

There are some people on GN who do not have the first idea of how inquiries work , the time they take, the money they cost, the effects they have on the people involved
Musk, Farage, Trump are very dangerous spiteful men and those on GN who support/like their views need to have a long hard think and cast their minds back Moseley and Black shirts! My grandad protested then and I protest now !

Brava

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Perhaps there wouldn’t be an outcry for a public inquiry if even SOME of the 20 recommendations put forward 2years ago had been implemented!

Why haven’t they been?
Any inquiry won’t have been cheap.

A waste of taxpayers money then?

So why are you determined to blame the current government for this?

Perhaps there wouldn’t be an outcry for a public inquiry if even SOME of the 20 recommendations put forward 2years ago had been implemented!

Why haven’t they been?
Any inquiry won’t have been cheap.

A waste of taxpayers money then?

There are some people on GN who do not have the first idea of how inquiries work , the time they take, the money they cost, the effects they have on the people involved
Musk, Farage, Trump are very dangerous spiteful men and those on GN who support/like their views need to have a long hard think and cast their minds back Moseley and Black shirts! My grandad protested then and I protest now !

Houseplant Queen thank you for your well said words!

I actually see it as an advantage when other countries look at our society. In the same way the British have a different perspective on gun use to the Americans, it often helps to have 'outsiders' talking about issues. Of course America completely ignores our views on gun use, but I would suggest that is short sighted.

MissAdventure

It's not unheard of.
Teachers, priests, even vicars have been caught out, thankfully.

Fred and Rose West were foster parents for a while.

I'm not sure they were ever foster parents.
They did have several children and step-children between them.

Rose worked as a dinner lady at a nearby FE College.

love0c

I hope Trump and Elon keep up the pressure. This dreadful government will do nothing. Afraid of losing votes.

What did the previous government do after the publication of and recommendations by (2022) the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, commissioned in 2015 by the then Home Secretary?

Why didn't Musk put pressure on them then to carry out the 20 recommendations from the Inquiry?

I'm not in fact a fan of Starmer, but this really is just political mud-slinging.

Why aren't we talking about the recommendations from that 7-year long Inquiry and, instead, demanding another one?

Surely, we need action not more talking?

Elon Musk should keep his nose out of our affairs. He would be better to use his vast wealth in philanthropic ways instead of inciting hate and racism whenever he opens his extremely large mouth.

Houseplant queen. I did not vote for this government without a moral compass. But I bet you did!

love0c

I hope Trump and Elon keep up the pressure. This dreadful government will do nothing. Afraid of losing votes.

Really? You loathe this government so much that you welcome interference from overseas? I am willing to bet you voted to leave the EU to take back control, didn't you.
Your support and admiration of men who are so far off most people's moral compass, just because you got a government you didn't want says a lot.

I hope Trump and Elon keep up the pressure. This dreadful government will do nothing. Afraid of losing votes.

It's not unheard of.
Teachers, priests, even vicars have been caught out, thankfully.

Fred and Rose West were foster parents for a while.

The ringleader of the Oldham grooming gang was employed by the Labour Council as a Welfare Rights Officer.

goes gives

cardan2

Why are some people more concerned about Elon Musk interfering in British life than the horrendous abuse of children.?

They're not.

Do you think Musk goes two hoots about vulnerable British girls? Hardly likely. It's just a stick with which to beat a foreign government in a country where he'd like to see a civil war.

Special Relationship? If there is one, he is trying to destroy it. He's disruptive.

Thanks Wyllow3.

I'm not sure that all who are commenting are aware of this Inquiry which, as you point out, also looked at organised networks.

In November last year, Professor Jay said she felt “frustrated” that none of the probe’s 20 recommendations had been implemented more than two years after its conclusion. (BBC reporting)

“It doesn’t need more consultation, it does not need more research or discussion, it just needs to be done.”

"Elon Musk should keep his opinions to himself and concentrate on the safety of his cars."
I'm with you J52 and agree with everyone who thinks that Musk should mind his own business.
If he wants to comment on UK affairs he should write a letter to one of the UK's newspapers as a private citizen , like everyone else, and see if the newspaper chooses to publish it ( as would apply to everyone else).

I know its tedious - but in the case of concern about the victims just this once - its worth reading back over the thread as there have been several inquiries mentioned specifically and practices have changed at government level

- ie the specific task force set up on grooming gangs by cross party efforts in 2023, and changes at local levels.

There are two leading figures, who fought to bring attention to grooming gangs in general and ones involving ethnic issues in particular to our notice - Nazir Afzal and Maggie Oliver have both been champions for the abused girls.

Both of them have said, "we dont want another talk-shop inquiry, we want action".

By which I presume more efforts by the police units set up already for grooming gangs and better support and time given to young victims by other agencies. thats now where the money and effort should go, not a political game play on the past.