Telford rape gang inquiry chair to help develop similar investigations in other British towns, says Home Secretary
The chair of the Telford grooming gang inquiry will work with the government to develop similar investigations in other British towns.
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Tom Crowther QC, whose report revealed child rapists had abused more than 1,000 girls over a 40-year period in the Shropshire town, will be drafted in to work with Oldham Council and up to four more local authorities.
The move was announced yesterday by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who stopped short of announcing a full national inquiry, despite strong calls for action over the last couple of weeks, including from the high profile billionaire Elon Musk.
“This has to be about action, protecting children and keeping them safe,” said Cooper.
Mr Crowther’s report on Telford, which was published in July 2022, also found that abuse was ignored for decades due to “nervousness about race” and fears of “inflaming racial tensions”, as well as a culture of blaming children, dismissing child sex exploitation as “child prostitution”.
It comes after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips MP insisted the Telford inquiry “led to changes” and a process that “put victims at the heart of it”.
She was publicly backed by several survivors after being pillioried by Musk on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
