Isabel Hardman: Would an inquiry into grooming gangs achieve anything? Is it worth the trauma?

Last night, MPs voted against a new national inquiry into grooming gangs. The vote followed weeks of pressure on Labour after Elon Musk brought grooming gangs back into the spotlight, after safeguarding minister Jess Phillips rejected a new national inquiry.

If we did have a national inquiry, what would it achieve? We’ve had many in recent years; Iraq, Grenfell Covid, the Post Office. Do they achieve meaningful justice for victims, or are they a drawn-out way to avoid knotty legislative change? Does parliament have the mechanisms to enact the recommendations – have politicians ever done this in the past, and is there an appetite to do so in the future? Deputy broadcast editor Natasha Feroze discusses with Spectator assistant editor Isabel Hardman, and Raja Miah, anti-grooming gang campaigner and Oldham commentator.

[ltmund]

We don't need to involve victims. We know the rapes occurred. We just need to establish if the policy of protecting a group identity had the horrific side effect of failing to protect young women from rape.

[hb]

Yes, the public inquiry is needed. Big Daddy Government needs to be held accountable.

[mark]

Why not ask the victims? Sick of these middle class multicultural cheerleaders in the media making excuses.
Theres many who were in positions of trust who threw these girls to the wolves, they need to be held accountable.

[koolkatfelix]

This grooming gang issue is so sick & sad!

[cedarstuff]

So much has been missed in the previous enquiries, that a full public enquiry is needed. If things are left at local level, they will be swept under the carpet.

[Sunshinez]

Britain must take firm action to the maximum extent of the law. No question.

[philiphuntley]

What a cesspit Westminster is being shown to be. Not that we haven’t known it.

[offshoretomorrow]

Keep going until everyone responsible in govt/police/social services has been shamed/sacked/prosecuted.
It was national and systemic.

[MarinaMJH]

Why are many of these men walking free? Why did the police fail these girls? Why did the local councils and social workers do Nothing? Why is this a Nationwide Problem? Why was this despicable scandal swept under the rug? Why was this allowed to happen?

[Epiales]

So lets sweep it all under the rug again then eh ?? Jeeeez

[stephfoxwell]

Yes. Politicians and Police must be held to account.

[paulgilson]

We need to know all the perpetrators and have them deported and all the public officials that were complicit need to be in jail.

[thatbroad]

So then make sure the process is expedited. Give them the justice and change you’d want if they were YOUR children. Shrugging and walking away is like a spawning salmon. Gross

[mrmikeh-nvcq]

Isn't it sad that a high profile foreign figure has to raise the issue for it to be on the Hopefully, it won't go away this time. 🇬🇧💔

[SepulchreBrit]

Thanks Isabel for your understanding as a complete shill for the Labour party

[Maxigirl]

It would make the survivors feel that their government cared about them. 😢

[sazzle]

So what exactly are you saying? Let’s not bother then? Thank god I’m not a mother of one of those girls because I wouldn’t be sitting on my sofa just commenting on a YouTube video hoping for things to change. Those girls and their families deserve justice and accountability at all levels for what has happened, and now that includes up to the now prime minister of our country and his involvement along with the Labour Party at the council level and the police that were told not to intervene for fear of racial devision within the community. This is not good enough by any stretch of the imagination. I can’t even describe what happened to these girls on this platform. Something has to be done to prevent this from ever happening to another child in this country ever again.

[DM-fwje]

In my ideal world, the enquiry shouldn’t require the victims to reduce their trauma, it should be about why and how the police and judicial system failed those victims, why and how come the perpetrators were released?! And all those people that were positions of power and turned a blind eye or were complacent about those horrors should be made accountable as harshly as the perpetrators themselves. But that’s never going to happen… 😞

[johnpaulnash]

Lucy Low RIP
Charlene Downs RIP
Victoria Agoglia RIP
Plus other victims that need a national public enquiry.
Who murdered and tortured these poor girls?

[yinoveryang]

In Uk public enquiries are a delaying tactic. And a hugely expensive one. For the next 4 years people will say "don't matter about it, there's an enquiry." In this case, it's clear that the government needs to take decisive action NOW to try to tackle these cultural and ideological factors, such as deeply ingrained misogyny, that obviously drive such behaviours. Imposing the LAW in the Uk, and doing it equally, may be a start. "Line in the sand" time.