The grooming gangs inquiry launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now facing a growing crisis. Four survivors have resigned from its advisory panel, revealing deep frustration with the government’s approach.
Meanwhile, two survivors, Ellie Reynolds and Fiona Goddard, quit the victims’ liaison committee earlier this week. They accused the Home Office of ignoring their concerns and using condescending language. Reynolds said she felt dismissed after requesting clarity about how the grooming gangs inquiry would function.
Starmer created the inquiry in June after pressure from far-right groups. However, those groups promoted a racial narrative around exploitation cases. Survivors now argue that this focus hides the real issue — sexism and systemic failure to protect vulnerable children.
Survivor Sabah Kaiser, who remains on the liaison panel, strongly rejected claims that ethnicity drives child exploitation. Instead, she said data clearly shows most offenders are white, not Asian. Moreover, Kaiser warned that racial framing fuels hate and distracts from real reform.
Government figures support her position. The Complex and Organised Child Abuse Dataset found that 83.5 percent of offenders in 2024 were white. Only 7.4 percent were Asian. Furthermore, the Home Office confirmed that no ethnic group is overrepresented in these crimes.
Despite this evidence, opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer’s team of hiding racial motives. She argued that survivors fear the inquiry will overlook religious and cultural elements of the abuse.
In addition, Fiona Goddard said she resigned after learning that a senior panel member made comments contradicting past findings. Another survivor, identified only as Jessica, also stepped down. She objected to potential inquiry chairs who had backgrounds in policing and social care.
Jessica explained that those sectors already failed victims in the past. She added that police often treated abused girls as offenders instead of survivors.
Meanwhile, critics claim that government institutions have ignored previous reform efforts. The 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse report remains largely unimplemented, despite its 20 urgent recommendations.
Consequently, the ongoing failures have deepened anger among survivors. Many now say far-right groups are exploiting their trauma to spread racist narratives.
They insist that sexism, not political correctness or race, remains the true cause of institutional failure.
Therefore, the grooming gangs inquiry now faces a defining moment. Survivors demand a transparent, survivor-led process that rebuilds trust and delivers genuine accountability.
For more updates on this news, follow London Pulse News.
