Grooming gangs inquiry vows 'not to shy away from race and ethnicity links' in bid to 'get to the truth'

The Grooming gangs inquiry "will not shy away from race and ethnicity links" in a bid to "get to the truth", MPs have been told.

Zoë Billingham, one of three panel members, told the Home Affairs Committee that investigators would not "turn the other cheek" to evidence showing offenders were of Pakistani heritage.

She told MPs: "We've heard direct testimony from victims and survivors. We know that in terms of prosecutions in some parts of the country the perpetrators are from Asian Pakistani heritage."

"We're not going to shy away from that. We're not going to find excuses for that. In fact, quite the reverse."

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She added: "We’re going to be forensically looking at how religion, culture, heritage and background could or could not have been a driver. Our inquiry has to get us to the truth."

Ms Billingham, formerly an HM inspector of police, emphasised that the inquiry must reach the truth, regardless of where the evidence leads.

She explained that the inquiry will conduct a forensic examination of whether religion, culture, heritage and background served as drivers for the abuse.

The former inspector added: "Most importantly for us, [we're going to be looking at] the way that agencies responded to what was evidently a clear and present danger, and turned the other cheek. We are not going to do that in this inquiry."

The investigation will probe how police forces and social services neglected to properly pursue grooming gangs because they feared causing upset within ethnic communities.

Baroness Longfield, chairing the inquiry, said they were "not squeamish" about the task ahead, acknowledging there is no single profile for either survivors or perpetrators.

The statutory national inquiry, led by the former children's commissioner, has secured £65million in government funding and will run for a maximum of three years, concluding no later than March 2029.

Local investigations will begin in Oldham, Greater Manchester, with the inquiry having the legal authority to compel public officials, police forces, and councils to provide evidence.

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Any fresh allegations that emerge during proceedings will be referred to police for separate investigation.

Lady Longfield expressed confidence in the financial backing, telling MPs: "We think it's doable and we've signed up for that. We think it is possible with the budget."

She added: "We are highly confident that we can do this, quality will be our guide. We would never compromise on quality."

Senior ministers will be among the first witnesses summoned to public hearings, where they must explain their failure to act on recommendations from previous inquiries.

Former Conservative home secretaries Suella Braverman and Sir James Cleverly are expected to face questions, alongside Labour ministers Yvette Cooper and Jess Phillips.

Ms Billingham said: "Our very first act will be to call local government [and] national politicians to the inquiry to account for recommendations that have been given to them on their watch. What have they delivered, what haven't they delivered, and why?"

Around 400 recommendations have emerged from successive national and local inquiries, many of which remain unimplemented or only partially introduced.

Lady Longfield acknowledged this inaction had created a "deficit of trust" among victims and the wider public, declaring: "We don't think there should be another inquiry after this."

Read more: Grooming gang survivor hits out at Labour peer accused of mocking national inquiry: ‘It’s disgusting’

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