National grooming gang probe ‘must be extended to Scotland'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THE national criminal investigation into grooming gangs must be extended to Scotland to avoid a 'missed opportunity', the peer in charge of a damning report into the scandal has said.
Baroness Casey's report found victims were failed by cops and officials who were in 'denial' about the rape and abuse of white girls by disproportionately Asian men and called for a major UK-wide criminal probe into the issue.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
Baroness Casey's damning report laid bare how the State was in 'denial' over the rape and abuse of white girls.
Credit: PA
3
A national inquiry into grooming gangs has been announced
Credit: Getty
Asked whether Scotland should be part of it, she said: 'I would be disappointed if the opportunity of the national criminal investigation [was missed].
'I can move from Scotland to England pretty easily and criminals do, so that would be a missed opportunity.'
Sir Keir Starmer bowed to pressure at the weekend and ordered a national inquiry into mass child sex abuse ahead of the publication of Baroness Casey's review.
Her devastating report on Monday laid bare how the State was in 'denial' over the rape and abuse of white girls.
Dame Louise Casey found perpetrators — disproportionately involving Asian men, many of Pakistani heritage — got away with it because of fears about inflaming community tensions.
And the Scottish Tories demanded the public inquiry into the scandal must also be expanded to cover Scotland.
Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie yesterday/today said: 'Now that the Labour Government has finally bowed to the huge public demand for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal it is essential that it is truly national in scope.
'That means extending the remit to include Scotland, where there have been well-documented cases of gangs responsible for the rape and sexual abuse of young women.'
The MP called on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to work with Nats chiefs on what is covered by the inquiry to all the 'voices of Scottish victims of these vile gangs' to be heard.
Mr Bowie added: 'We already know that vulnerable young women were appallingly let down by Labour-run councils, where it appears that partisan political considerations led to the cover-up of the issue.
Ethnicity of child sex abuse suspects will be logged after truth about Asian grooming gangs was 'dodged for YEARS'
'It's essential to uncover if sensitivities over the racial make-up of the perpetrators was a factor in the Scottish cases too.'
In 2020, it was revealed cops kept secret a huge asylum seeker grooming gang in Glasgow which had at least 44 victims.
All the perpetrators were asylum seekers from the Kurdish, Afghani, Egyptian, Moroccan, Turkish, Pakistani or Iraqi communities.
Speaking in Westminster, Baroness Casey said it was a 'matter for Scotland to decide' whether to take part.
She added: 'Criminals move to wherever they can get their prey. And with the internet, they do that even quicker and easier. I mean, it's an issue internationally, not just between the devolved nations.
'I think it is really important that across certainly Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, there's some join up around these sorts of issues.'
Baroness Casey also urged Scots not to think grooming gangs could not be taking place in Scotland.
She said: 'Don't just read this report and think it may not happen to you.'
The Home Office was contacted for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jannik Sinner won't say why he fired two team members right before Wimbledon
Jannik Sinner confirmed that he recently fired two members of his team — fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio, who themselves were replacements for people involved in the player's doping case — but declined Saturday to explain the reason for the change ahead of Wimbledon. Sinner, who has been ranked No. 1 for more than a year, said that he decided shortly after losing in the second round of the grass-court tournament in Halle, Germany, this month to make the change. Sinner has not yet found substitutes for Panichi and Badio, who both used to work with Novak Djokovic. 'Nothing seriously bad happened. They did great work for (the past) three months. Sometimes, things happen,' Sinner said at his pre-tournament news conference. 'The timing obviously isn't the best, but having done a lot of work (together) before, it won't affect this Grand Slam a lot. I feel well physically and mentally and ready to compete.' Play begins Monday at the All England Club, where Sinner was a quarterfinalist in 2024. He will play Luca Nardi in an all- Italian matchup on Tuesday. Last year, Sinner tested positive twice for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March; the case wasn't made public until August, shortly before the U.S. Open, which he ended up winning for the second of his three Grand Slam titles. He initially was completely cleared, based on the defense that he accidentally was exposed to the banned substance, Clostebol, via a massage from his then-physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Sinner said his fitness trainer at the time, Umberto Ferrara, purchased a product in Italy and gave it to Naldi for a cut on Naldi's finger. Naldi then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the exoneration, and Sinner agreed to serve a three-month ban that ended right before the Italian Open in May. On Saturday, Sinner was asked repeatedly in English and Italian what led him to part ways with Panichi and Badio. 'There's not one specific thing,' Sinner said. He was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open three weeks ago, wasting a two-set lead and three match points in a final that lasted 5 1/2 hours. As for adding new team members, Sinner said Saturday: 'I haven't thought about replacements. It's not the time to think about my options. But there are a lot of options.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis:
The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Man Utd chief gives major update on £2billion new stadium and reveals why ‘Wembley of the North' plan might NOT happen
MANCHESTER UNITED chief Omar Berrada has given the clearest indication yet that the club will only build a new stadium if it receives financial backing from the government. Earlier this year minority United owner and billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe unveiled ambitious new plans for a £2bn stadium which would hold 100,000 fans and be built next to the current Old Trafford. 6 6 Sir Jim said plans to regenerate the area around the stadium with 17,000 homes, shops, restaurants and hotels, would boost the UK economy by £7.3bn. But the plans could only go ahead if the surrounding area was developed using taxpayers' money. In a recent interview with Red Issue fanzine, Berada said: 'We still see the stadium as the catalyst for the wider regeneration project. "So we do need the government to commit to developing the area around the stadium for it to make sense. 'Without it it doesn't make sense for us to build the stadium as a standalone. "We believe that it could be a catalyst for one of the biggest, if not the biggest regeneration projects that this area of the country has ever seen. 'And it'll bring benefits for the wider community in terms of home, jobs, health, and all that, that can yield an enormous amount of positive impact. "Hopefully the government will support it and put the funds behind it.' Concept images of the ground have teased a huge wraparound scoreboard, along with a three-storey museum and canal-side restaurants as part of a vast fan village. If the plans do go ahead United will be able to continue playing at Old Trafford during the construction process, before demolishing the historic ground once they move into their new home. Man Utd reveal first pics of redeveloped 100,000-capacity Old Trafford in 'biggest regeneration scheme ever seen' During the announcement of the ambitious project, Ratcliffe said: "Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. "By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience, only footsteps from our historic home." 6 6 6 6
The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Kneecap's Glastonbury set will not be broadcast live, BBC confirms
Kneecap's Glastonbury set will not be broadcast live, the BBC has confirmed. The rap trio said the corporation had contacted them to say their performance would be available online on iPlayer from Saturday evening. The group were due to perform on the West Holts stage at 4pm on Saturday, despite criticism from the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who said they should be banned from the festival after the band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence. The 27-year-old is accused of displaying a flag representing Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation, at a gig in November last year, a charge he denies. The BBC said the band's set would not be streamed live, 'but we look to make an on-demand version available'. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always livestream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.'
