Scottish Government ‘open’ to grooming gangs inquiry

The Scottish Government is “open” to setting up an inquiry into grooming gangs, the first minister has said.

John Swinney’s comments, made during FMQs, follow a call by a victim of an alleged grooming gang in Glasgow to launch a national inquiry.

A young woman, known only as Taylor, said she was targeted by a “Pakistani grooming gang” when she was 13 and in care.

In a letter to the first minister, she said that in the years since her own abuse “nothing has been done to protect vulnerable children in Scotland”.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay raised the letter in the chamber and called for a “full and fearless” investigation.

He said: “Taylor and other victims say there must be a grooming gangs inquiry in Scotland to uncover the scale of the abuse, why it was allowed to go unchecked and to ensure that it cannot continue.”

Swinney confirmed receipt of Taylor’s letter and expressed “admiration for her courage”.

He pointed to the National Child Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group, which meets quarterly to consider how best to address the risks and harms of child abuse including grooming gangs.

He also said Police Scotland is reviewing current and previous investigations to see how it can improve to determine what issues any potential inquiry would need to consider.

“The government has remained open to the question of a grooming gangs inquiry but there is a series of steps being taken to explore these issues at the present moment,” he added.

The UK Government announced a national inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales in June this year, though it has already faced significant problems with four women on its victims liaison panel resigning.

The Scottish Tories had called for the inquiry to be extended to Scotland or for the Scottish Government to hold a  “parallel inquiry with equivalent powers”.

In her letter, Taylor said child sexual abuse was “still happening” in Scotland. She wrote: “As a solution, I am firm in my belief that a rapid audit into grooming gangs in Scotland is urgently required.

“There can be no delay if Natalie Don-Innes, minister for children and young people, is to be believed when she states that the ‘Scottish Government takes the shocking and abhorrent abuse of children seriously’.

“A full inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland must follow any audit in order to protect children suffering now, and any potential victims in the future.”

Findlay said that Taylor “should have been protected” but police had “failed to investigate”. 

He also raised the case of Fiona Goddard, a child sexual abuse survivor who was trafficked to cities across the UK. Goddard, who waived her right to anonymity in 2019, has been critical of the failure of police to investigate.

“Victims don't trust what happened to them will be fully investigated by organisations they believe turned a blind eye or even engaged in a cover-up. Has John Swinney spoken to Police Scotland about these allegations, and does he believe that the actions of the authorities should be independently examined?” he asked.

Swinney said he had already taken “significant action” to address the wider issue of child sexual abuse.

He urged any victims of abuse to come forward to allow an investigation to take place, adding such reports would “be taken very seriously by the police”.

He continued: “I reiterate that we remain open to the question of an inquiry on grooming gangs, but what I am satisfied about is that the police will address these issues, and that our judicial system will address them too.

“We will reflect on wether there's any further scrutiny that's required in light of those investigations.”