Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a crackdown on sexual exploitation by grooming gangs appears to be the product of highly partisan political calculation, rather than the careful thought this problem deserves. He chose not to repeat, on Monday, the most inflammatory points made at the weekend by his home secretary, Suella Braverman. But by singling out the threat from gangs, as opposed to child sexual abuse in general, and by launching a new taskforce in Leeds – not far from where some notorious gangs operated – the government has committed to inflame the racial sensitivities surrounding this issue.
The taskforce was one of the commitments offered by Mr Sunak as part of his leadership bid. But as a crime-fighting tool, it looks weak. Specialist officers, with solid data to work with, are a good thing in any area of law enforcement. But the pledges being made to “stamp out” exploitation are unlikely to be kept. Police and courts are already overwhelmed with unmanageable workloads and staff shortages (including a lack of barristers), and struggling to cope with an explosion in online child sexual offences. The number of child sexual abuse cases resulting in a charge has fallen to 11% from 32% in seven years. Victims report being traumatised by repeated delays and postponements of court dates.
Mandatory reporting of suspected abuse was recommended by the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) led by Alexis Jay last year. Keir Starmer pointed out on Monday that he proposed this a decade ago. But tempting as it might be to believe that a simple law change could solve the problem, it is not true. For reports to elicit an effective response, police, social services and the criminal justice system must be equipped to offer this. The government’s response to the IICSA’s other recommendations is due later this month. Unregistered staff in residential institutions, and dangers associated with unregulated placements, are among points that urgently need addressing, at a time when large numbers of children in care are being placed many miles away from the places and people they know.
In her review of events in Rotherham, where 1,400 children are thought to have been abused, Prof Jay criticised attempts to downplay the ethnic aspect of the exploitation. But to place such heavy emphasis on the dynamics of this particular episode, as ministers have opted to, is divisive and irresponsible. The number of child sexual abuse reports has risen sharply, with 103,000 offences recorded by police in England and Wales in 2021-22, while a report from the Home Office in 2020 found that group-based offenders are “most commonly white”. The IICSA report referred to “soaring numbers” of victims of internet-based abuse. What is needed is an approach firmly grounded in evidence and backed up by clear messaging.
Ms Braverman’s rhetoric about criminals whose attitudes are “incompatible with British values” is offensive. Stereotyping offenders can also be counter-productive, as the NSPCC pointed out. If people view sex offenders as outsiders, they are less likely to notice other forms of abuse – such as that committed by trusted figures, including family members or other adults in responsible positions.
This would be ugly politics at any time. But at a time of severe economic hardship, which is already placing communities under increased stress, the government’s approach to this painful issue shows it in a particularly poor light.
