THERE is no crime more vile than child abuse.
The way that grooming gangs — many of them Asian — have preyed on vulnerable girls in some of our poorest communities is sickening.
I saw firsthand how these children were being failed when I was the country’s leading prosecutor.
Failure to believe working class girls. Or misplaced fears that a jury would not believe them.
Wrong-headed ideas about community relations.
These all played their part in denying these children justice and leaving the perpetrators free to continue abusing. It is an issue I tackled head on.
My fight to change the way that the prosecution service operated is a matter of public record.
Making sure the men responsible for these despicable acts were brought to justice. Put in the dock. Then behind bars.
That is why I brought the first prosecution for a grooming gang.
Far-right voices have tried to rewrite history.
Ludicrous claims that Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips and I are part of the problem, not the solution.
In truth, Jess has spent her entire life battling to keep women and girls safe.
The poison being pumped out by the far right should not surprise anyone.
Those spreading lies and misinformation are not interested in the victims.
Those cheerleading for Tommy Robinson — a thug who was jailed for almost collapsing a grooming case — are not interested in justice.
They are only interested in themselves.
But that has not stopped people who should know better jumping on that bandwagon.
They include some of the very politicians who had an opportunity to act, but instead sat on their hands.
Of course, we should leave no stone unturned. We should stop at nothing to get to the truth.
A national inquiry into child sexual exploitation is what was needed.
That is why one was held.
Seven years’ work. Eighteen investigations. A thorough examination of not just what had gone wrong but also what needs to happen.
Professor Alexis Jay published the final findings in 2022.
But the Conservative government failed to implement them, failing the victims.
Giving every child the best start in life is a key part of our Plan for Change. That begins with keeping them safe
Sir Keir Starmer
Now they are demanding another national inquiry. Putting political posturing before child protection.
But as experts from the NSPCC to Professor Jay herself have said, we know what is needed — action, not further delay.
Well, my government is acting.
One of Professor Jay’s key recommendations was a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse.
It is a measure that I first called for back in 2013. And, as Prime Minister, I will deliver it.
This government, my government, will put this into law.
This will not just introduce professional sanctions for teachers, social workers, police and others who fail to report sexual abuse.
We will also make it a specific criminal offence for anyone who wilfully obstructs a sexual abuse investigation.
It must, and will, include the prospect of prison. Offenders and enablers both where they belong, in jail.
The protection of institutions can never be put before the protection of children.
Mandatory reporting alone will not solve this insidious problem.
We will also ensure that every police force learns the lessons of the past.
I said that action, not words, would bring the change this country needs
Sir Keir Starmer
That is why all 43 will be required to improve data collection on child sex abuse, including the ethnicity of offenders.
We can’t fix this problem until we have an accurate picture of who is involved.
Police forces should be spotting patterns, targeting the gangs, bringing the abusers to justice and helping the victims.
It is horrifying but true that the grooming gangs we know about may well be the tip of the iceberg.
As many as 500,000 children a year may be experiencing sexual abuse, whether in the home, online or from these vile gangs.
When I stood on the steps of Downing Street for the first time after the election six months ago, I said that action, not words, would bring the change this country needs.
Giving every child the best start in life is a key part of our Plan for Change. That begins with keeping them safe.
It is something I have fought for my entire career.
It is something that this government is now delivering on.
