On Saturday, Starmer confirmed that a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation and abuse would commence, addressing long-standing concerns related to "grooming gangs" responsible for the exploitation of thousands of children over the past two decades. Starmer's announcement comes after a prolonged period of criticism for his government’s earlier stance, which emphasized the sufficiency of previous investigations conducted over seven years that reviewed extensive evidence and testimonies from around 6,000 victims.
The change in approach follows a review by Louise Casey, a member of the House of Lords, who had initially deemed a full inquiry unnecessary, but later declared that the situation warranted a national investigation based on her findings. "I've read every single word of her report, and I'm going to accept her recommendation," Starmer stated in an interview with the BBC before departing for the G7 summit in Canada.
The change in approach follows a review by Louise Casey, a member of the House of Lords, who had initially deemed a full inquiry unnecessary, but later declared that the situation warranted a national investigation based on her findings. "I've read every single word of her report, and I'm going to accept her recommendation," Starmer stated in an interview with the BBC before departing for the G7 summit in Canada.
