"Sexual abuse is a bombshell in French society."Seven facts to understand the context of abuse in Spain"We are all called to know the impact of abuse," pope saysU.S. entrepreneur and owner of the social network X, Elon Musk, has singled out British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour government for failing to crack down on grooming gangs.
Musk directly accused Starmer of having been "complicit" in cover-ups during his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) between 2008 and 2013, during which time numerous abuse cases were dismissed.
A prolonged crisis
From the late 1990s until 2014, the United Kingdom witnessed a wave of child sexual exploitation cases perpetrated by these gangs in locations such as Rotherham, Rochdale and Oxford. The crimes, which subsequently led to dozens of arrests, mainly affected minors in vulnerable situations, many of whom were wards of the state.
In a recent cross-examination, Musk also criticized Jess Phillips, Labour's minister for Safeguarding Children and Violence Against Women and Girls. Phillips rejected in October 2023 a request from Oldham Council to launch a state inquiry into abuse that occurred in the town between 2011 and 2014.
Instead, he urged local authorities to replicate the model of cities such as Telford, which managed their own investigations independently.
Revealing reports and criticisms of the system
Cases of child sexual abuse in the UK have been documented in several independent reports. In 2014, Alexis Jay published an analysis of the situation in Rotherham, revealing that more than 1,400 minors were abused between 1997 and 2013.
Most of the attackers belonged to organized groups of Pakistani origin, and the authorities faced criticism for failing to act in a timely manner, often paralyzed by fear of being accused of racism.
In 2022, a report by the Jay-led Independent Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry (ICSA) widened the focus, examining similar cases in other localities, including Cornwall, Derbyshire and Bristol. This study highlighted systemic failures in the response by police and other authorities, who often minimized the problem or failed to act quickly enough.
A problem that transcends the Church and the twentieth century
The cover-up of these crimes is neither an isolated phenomenon nor exclusive to religious institutions. However, the Catholic Church, after years of denunciations and scandals, has publicly acknowledged the problem, asked for forgiveness and is trying to make reparations to the victims as far as possible.
In SpainFor example, the child protection systems implemented by the Church appear to be quite effective, since according to the Attorney General's Office, only 0.45% of current child abuse allegations involve church institutions.
It is time for states to follow suit, recognize their failures and adopt concrete measures to protect minors. The case of the "grooming gangs" shows that child protection should not be held hostage to political interests or fear of public judgment.
Governments must guarantee justice for the victims and establish mechanisms to prevent tragedies such as these from recurring.
