Exclusive:
Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale, writes for the Mirror that there can be ‘no cover ups’ in the pursuit of those who failed the victims of vile grooming gangs
In Rochdale, we know all too well the terrible trauma suffered by our local girls at the hands of evil grooming gangs.
That’s why I strongly welcome Keir Starmer’s decision to order a national inquiry into this sick crime, with tough powers to force witnesses to give evidence.
On Friday, we had the latest convictions of a child rape gang, made up of men from Rochdale of Pakistani heritage who preyed on girls in the early 2000s.
The contrast between the bravery of the women who gave evidence in court and the cowardice of their abusers was stark.
The way these paedophiles treated the teenage girls as slaves for their sexual perversion was disgusting enough.
But what will also anger many people was the prosecution lawyer’s statement in court that the abuse had taken place “under the noses of social workers and others who should have done far more to protect them”.
That’s why we need this statutory inquiry – to hold accountable anyone in any position of authority who knew what was going on and failed to act.
The inquiry should now follow the evidence, wherever it leads. No political party, no councillor, no police officer, no social worker, no racial group should be spared the spotlight of transparency. There can be no cover ups.
The Prime Minister has a strong record in taking action to lock up the child rapists in our town.
It was his decision as Director of Public Prosecutions to change the way cases are built for court, allowing these working class girls the day in court they deserved, that paved the way for a string of prosecutions.
And when Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asked in January for Louise Casey to conduct a national audit into grooming, it was clear that she wanted a fiercely independent expert to dig into it.
It sounds like Baroness Casey’s findings will be as no-nonsense as all her previous work.
I hope the new inquiry will now deliver the justice our girls have been denied for far too long.