KC who led Telford grooming gang inquiry gives verdict on calls for national investigation

Tom Crowther KC was tasked with an investigation into decades of failings over child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Telford.

He concluded that more than 1,000 children had suffered appalling and shocking abuse, going back to the 1970s.

The report told how a 'nervousness around race' meant offences were not properly investigated.

His inquiry delivered its final report in July 2022, and outlined 47 recommendations intended to make sure there could be no repeat of the systemic failure that left child sexual exploitation (CSE) to "thrive unchecked" in the borough.

Last year Mr Crowther delivered a two-year progress check on efforts to implement the recommendations in his report.

He said that he was confident anyone raising concerns that were previously ignored would now be listened to.

He said: "I don't ever want to say that there will be no exploitation because I have always taken the view there can be exploitation anywhere because it is crime and you can't solve crime.

"But children will be safer because the concerns of parents, teachers, and the community will now be listened to because there is now a structure for listening at every level."

He has also praised the efforts of several survivors of abuse in Telford who he said had done a "tremendous job" working with the authorities in the wake of the report.

He said their efforts had ensured that "every part of council and police response is informed by the experiences of these women".

The issue of grooming gangs has hit the national headlines in recent days - with calls from political party Reform and tech-billionaire and owner of the X social media site, Elon Musk, for a national inquiry into the issue.