UK government responds to Elon Musk’s criticism of grooming gang scandal
The scandal, which has dominated headlines for years, revolves around the sexual exploitation of young girls across several towns and cities in northern England, often involving gangs of men of Pakistani origin.
WORLD
The UK government has hit back at Elon Musk after the billionaire's severe criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's handling of the grooming gang scandal involving the sexual exploitation of young girls. Musk has accused Starmer of failing to bring "rape gangs" of British-Pakistani men to justice when he was the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over a decade ago. In a tweet, Musk said, “Starmer was complicit in the rape of Britain when he was head of Crown Prosecution for six years. Starmer must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain.”
The remarks have drawn strong reactions from UK officials, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting labeling Musk’s comments as "misjudged and certainly misinformed." Streeting, however, expressed a willingness to work with Musk, suggesting that his social media platform could play a significant role in addressing the issue. “If he wants to work with us, roll his sleeves up. We’d welcome that,” Streeting said, inviting Musk to contribute positively to tackling child sexual exploitation.
The scandal, which has dominated headlines for years, revolves around the sexual exploitation of young girls across several towns and cities in northern England, often involving gangs of men of Pakistani origin. Investigations, such as the one in Rotherham, revealed that over 1,400 children were abused over 16 years, with men of South Asian heritage identified as the perpetrators in many cases.
The issue has sparked calls for a national inquiry, with Conservative leaders like Kemi Badenoch urging action. “2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice,” she said, stressing the need for a national investigation.
The UK government, on its part, has pledged to act on the recommendations from a 2022 national inquiry into child sexual abuse. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA) issued 20 recommendations, with Professor Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry, calling for immediate action. “It doesn’t need more consultation. It just needs to be done,” Jay stated.