Jim Gamble, a former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) police command and a child abuse expert, has withdrawn from a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs. Mr. Gamble cited the level of "misinformation" present in the political and online discourse surrounding the inquiry as a key factor in his decision, though he acknowledged anticipating pressure from victims and survivors.
He also stated that the selection of the inquiry's leadership should not be based on an individual's previous occupation, emphasizing that multiple agencies had previously failed grooming victims. The withdrawal prompted parliamentary debate, during which Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch relayed concerns from survivors, who reportedly believe the inquiry would "downplay the racial and religious motivations behind their abuse," and questioned if it represented a "cover-up."
In response, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, acknowledged that survivors had been "ignored for many years" and asserted the inquiry's commitment to ensuring "injustice will have no place to hide." He confirmed that Dame Louise Casey, whose report recommended the statutory inquiry, would now be involved, and reiterated that the inquiry's scope would remain unchanged, specifically including the examination of offenders' ethnicity and religion, with a suitable chair to be appointed.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629zvnd5lno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss