‘Whether it’s in London or elsewhere…that should be the first priority’
The national grooming gangs inquiry will “leave no stone unturned”, including in London, Sir Keir Starmer has said after Sir Sadiq Khan previously suggested there was no indication of rape gangs operating in the capital.
The Mayor of London was last week accused of “taking the mickey” out of victims by Susan Hall, the Conservative London Assembly leader, who urged him to apologise to them.
It came after he told the Assembly in June that although the city has “issues in relation to child sexual exploitation” and “child sexual abuse”, the cases were different from those in other parts of the country.
The Prime Minister was asked about accusations that the Labour mayor was gaslighting victims.
Sir Keir told reporters travelling with him to the G20 summit in South Africa: “I think the national inquiry can cover this and the approach we’ve taken is, ‘no stone unturned’.
“Whether it’s in London or elsewhere I’ve always said where there’s evidence that could be investigated by the police, whether that’s looking at old cases or new cases, that should be the first priority because my strong view is in these cases that if there’s evidence to put people before criminal courts that is the first step that should be taken.
“More broadly the national inquiry will leave no stone unturned wherever it is in the country.”
The fledgling inquiry was thrown into turmoil last month after the withdrawal of both candidates to lead the probe, as well as the departure of five women from the victim liaison panel amid a row.
“We’re working to get a chair as soon as we can,” Sir Keir told GB News in South Africa, adding “it’s important we get it right”.
Whitehall troubleshooter Baroness Louise Casey, who had been drafted in to support the work of the inquiry, has been helping the Government get the process back on track.
It was the peer’s review of group-based child sexual exploitation that eventually led the Government to announce a national investigation.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Any individuals or grooming gangs exploiting children for sex are utterly abhorrent and Sadiq wants justice for every single victim of these horrific crimes.
“These children have not only suffered terrible abuse at the hands of the perpetrators but have been woefully let down by the authorities meant to protect them from harm.
“The mayor has welcomed the Government’s national inquiry and it is right that this should leave no stone unturned when seeking justice for the victims of these horrendous crimes and ensure the vile perpetrators are brought to justice.”
They went on to point to a further £2.4 million package of support for victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation announced by Sir Sadiq this week, and his pushing forward reforms in the way the Metropolitan Police protects children.
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