Child abuse must not become a political football
The harrowing stories that emerged from the inquiry into sex grooming gangs in Telford revealed a shocking tale of how hundreds of vulnerable children were failed by the authorities that were supposed to protect them.
It now appears this may be just the tip of the iceberg, with claims that child-grooming gangs could have been operating in as many as 50 towns across the UK.
Allegations that police and local councils turned a blind eye over fears that intervention would stoke racial tensions are serious indeed, and need to be investigated as a matter of urgency. But the unseemly row over the form this inquiry should take is the last thing needed.
It is little surprise to find Elon Musk at the centre of the controversy. The electric-car maker turned social-media boss seems to take great pleasure in stirring up discontent from the safety of his computer keyboard. What is disappointing is that people we expect better from also appear to have boarded his bandwagon.
Kemi Badenoch, the new leader of the Conservative Party, is entitled to call for a national inquiry if she believes it will shine a light into what has happened. Her big mistake was using the Children’s Wellbeing Bill as a vehicle to make this point, potentially delaying a vital piece of legislation.
A group of victims of child sexual exploitation have now come forward saying they believe local inquiries are the best way to investigate these claims. We should place more store on their words than those of opportunistic politicians or a cynical American tech entrepreneur.
The appalling abuse of young girls at the hands of predatory grooming gangs is a grave subject that requires sensitivity, maturity, and strong leadership.
By turning the issue of child abuse into a political football, some of our politicians have fallen short on all three counts.
