LONDON (Diya TV) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a full national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs across England and Wales. The decision comes after a major audit by Baroness Louise Casey and reverses months of resistance. It marks a pivotal step in the UK’s long struggle with group-based child sexual exploitation, which has devastated vulnerable white girls in towns like Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, and Telford.
Baroness Casey originally believed another national-level probe was unnecessary. But after leading a rapid audit commissioned by the Home Office in January, she changed her stance. She cited new evidence that revealed the scale of abuse and institutional neglect. Starmer accepted her recommendation.
“I’ve read every single word of her report,” Starmer said Saturday on his way to the G7 summit in Canada. “She’s come to the view there should be a national inquiry on the basis of what she’s seen. I shall now implement her recommendation.”
The inquiry will operate under the Inquiries Act. This gives it full legal authority to compel witnesses and demand evidence. A senior government source said it will coordinate a series of local investigations—even in areas where authorities previously resisted scrutiny.
Public pressure has grown for years, especially after billionaire Elon Musk drew global attention to the issue. Musk criticized UK officials for failing to act, which fueled new calls for accountability.
Saturday’s announcement sparked strong reactions. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned Starmer for delaying action. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed the move but warned: “This cannot be a whitewash.”
According to reports, Casey’s audit found that law enforcement and social services had “institutionally ignored” vulnerable white British girls. Authorities allegedly feared being labeled racist. Many perpetrators in past cases were British men of Pakistani heritage. The report has reignited debate on cultural dynamics, political correctness, and institutional failure.
The inquiry reverses earlier decisions by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who had backed only five local investigations. Cooper is expected to address Parliament on Monday. The government will release the Casey audit at the same time.
The inquiry will reexamine police, council, and institutional failures. It will explore how demographic data, community tensions, and bias affected responses. The government promised that no local authority can block these new investigations.
Former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe said, “None of this would have happened without Elon Musk.” Musk, who had supported survivors on his platform X, reacted with a heart emoji.
Survivors and advocates have long demanded accountability.
With legal powers and public scrutiny, the national inquiry aims to expose institutional failure and deliver long-overdue justice to thousands of survivors across the UK.
