Sarah Champion joins calls for a national grooming inquiry as pressure mounts on ministers

She has published a five point checklist of recommendations which she is calling on the Government to implement at the same time, as an answer to public distrust over the way the authorities have dealt with child sex abuse.

Her announcement follows Labour colleague Dan Carden’s call for an inquiry at the weekend. Greater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham has also suggested a limited national inquiry should take place.

However, the Government’s stance is that the public are better served by seeing the recommendations made by Prof Alexis Jay in her 2022 report implemented – work which was not done when the Tories were in power.

Ms Champion has said she wants to see those recommendations put in place, crucially with a timetable for the action and ring-fenced resources to make it happen.

She also wants to see a national audit to establish whether ‘grooming gangs’ are still active, or if cases have been missed.

In addition, she wants to see a national inquiry into the failing of grooming gangs, new commission work into the motivations of grooming gang members and a review of whether the law is fit for purpose to both protect children and prosecute offenders.

The row over how the state has responded to child sexual abuse and exploitation – which was first exposed in Rotherham more than a decade ago – has escalated since Elon Musk, the billionaire soon to be involved in Donald Trump’s new American administration, started making statements on the issue via his X platform.

Conservatives then called for a national inquiry, facing challenges themselves over the lack of action on Jay’s most recent recommendations.

Ms Champion said: “Child sexual abuse is endemic in the UK and needs to be recognised as a national priority.

“It is clear that the public distrusts governments and authorities when it comes to preventing and prosecuting child abuse, especially child sexual exploitation.

“The statistics on these crimes show the scale of the problem; the high level of public concern and mistrust only emphasises why addressing all forms of child abuse must be a government priority.

“Having worked widely with victims and survivors, and front-line professionals, I have long believed that we need to fully understand the nature of this crime and the failures in the response of public bodies if we are to truly protect children.

“It is clear that nothing less than a national inquiry into the failings of those in authority to both prevent, and be accountable for their failings, in relation to grooming gangs will restore the faith in our safeguarding systems.

“My five recommendations to the Government are to be run concurrently, though by their nature one will feed into another. Transparency and accountability need to be embedded into this process, with victims and survivors sitting at its heart.”

Since the Rotherham grooming scandal, where it is believed 1,400 girls were abused, was exposed, Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police have taken major steps forwards to improve their working practices in that field.