A survivor of Pakistani grooming and rape gangs has stepped down from her role on a panel of inquiry into the abuse scandal, citing her unease at what she called “condescending and controlling language used towards survivors” during the process.
Fiona Goddard, who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of such a gang in Bradford, said she would not participate further in the inquiry due to ‘political interferrence’ and the unsatisfactory treatment of victims.
The abuse, of mostly disadvantaged white British girls, by predominantly UK based Muslim men of Pakistani origin has affected at least 50 towns and cities across the UK, and has spanned decades.
Goddard, who was abused while living in care, had been appointed to the victims survivor liaison panel of the inquiry, which Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to deliver four months ago after coming under significant political pressure.
“I have serious concerns around certain members of the panel … that presents a potential conflict of interest and incentives, pushing in opposition to the honest representations of survivors’ voices.” Goddard said.
“The most concerning development of this inquiry has been the identities of the two prospective chairs. One has a background in policing and the other, a social worker,” she wrote.
“The very two services that contributed most to the cover-up of the national mass rape and trafficking of children. This is a disturbing conflict of interest, and I fear the lack of trust in services from years of failings and corruption will have a negative impact in survivor engagement with this inquiry.”
A major audit of group-based child sexual exploitation by gangs in the UK has found that “flawed data” was “used repeatedly to dismiss claims about ‘Asian grooming gangs’ as sensationalised, biased or untrue” – and that “the ethnicity of perpetrators is shied away from and is still not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators”.
The government-commissioned review, carried out by Baroness Louise Casey, concluded that the British establishment has been in denial over the ethnicity of grooming gangs.
Much of the denial of the true nature of the abuse was down to concerns over ‘social-cohesion’, with some victims dismissed as “child prostitutes” or putting themselves at risk.
She also expressed concern at what was motivating some members of the panel to expand the inquiry’s scope.
“Expanding the scope of this inquiry risks it being watered down and once again, failing to get to the truth. We have repeatedly faced suggestions from officials to expand this inquiry, and there is real fear from survivors, including myself, that it will turn into another IICSA (independent inquiry into child sexual abuse), with grooming gang victims forgotten,” she said.
“I’m further concerned by the condescending and controlling language used towards survivors throughout this process who have had to fight every day just to be believed, and I think they deserve more respect than they have received,” she said.
In response to the developments, a Home Office spokesperson said, “The abuse of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable. Any suggestion that this inquiry is being watered down is completely wrong – we are committed to delivering a robust, thorough inquiry that will get to the truth and provide the answers that survivors have so long campaigned for.
“We are working urgently to appoint the best chair to take forward this work and deliver justice, putting victims and survivors at the heart of the process.
“We are grateful to all those who have shared their insights with us. We share the concerns around unhelpful speculation while this process is live – which is why we will not be providing a running commentary.”