Gov refuses home office investigation into historic child sex abuse in Oldham

[Perzival]

I've just read on x that Jess Phillips has formally declined Oldham council's request for the HO to investigate the grooming gangs in Oldham. Why on Earth would they do this? Apparently JP says it should be a local investigation? Clearly that is a conflict of interests and if the council are asking for help they should?

The only link I can find other than x is GB news (apologies).

https://www.gbnews.com/news/oldham-grooming-gangs-labour-government-inquiry-abuse-scandal

And the fact that it involved family members and sometimes police officers themselves.

Don’t understand your point - have I misunderstood? The cover up has been a large part of the problem. We need things out in the open, no more hiding the truth.

I think they were also following orders from above.

Bradford and Keighley has a particular problem with its children’s services department.

It was finally put in to ‘special measures’ in 2023, following the death of toddler Star Hobson at the hands of her mother’s partner and mother. The rape gangs issue was not the trigger - not much acknowledged by police or the council. The trust that was set up to by central government to take over is now bleeding the council dry, taking so much of the tax receipts that the appallingly managed council is near bankruptcy.

This is the same department that’s also supposed to deal with the rape gangs issue. No idea what state its leadership is in, or how the social workers at the coalface are. It’s difficult to see they are well placed to cope.

I understand about the need for action rather than just more inquiries.

I would like to see a new inquiry, especially one focused on grooming gangs, is the potential for fresh, dedicated attention and a targeted approach.

The Hillsborough Inquiry serves as a crucial example here. After the 1989 disaster, it wasn’t just about gathering information—it was about holding the powerful to account and correcting decades of injustice. The inquiry's success lay in its rigour, the public support it garnered, and the willingness of those in charge to be held accountable. It wasn't just a report gathering dust; it resulted in actionable change, such as overturning original inquests and the pursuit of criminal justice for those responsible. It was perfect though and the fight still continues.

In the case of grooming gangs, an inquiry could create a platform for transparency, gather evidence, and give a clear public signal that these issues matter. Yes, the laws are already in place, but it's about enforcing them effectively, which might require changes in resources or approaches. Without a fresh, serious investigation, there may continue to be gaps in how these cases are handled, especially at the level of police prioritisation or judicial consistency.

Regarding Elon Musk, while it might seem odd for him to be the one advocating for victims, it reflects a gap in leadership. Ideally, the responsibility should fall on public officials and institutions to address these issues directly. The fact that a tech billionaire is stepping in to amplify certain causes highlights the failure of the system to step up

I should have been clear that although the Hillsborough inquiry addressed the systemic failures, it was far from perfect since it did not go far enough in holding individuals accountable, particularly those in positions of power who were involved in the cover-up. But the Hillsborough Inquiry was undoubtedly a crucial start in the long process of seeking justice for the victims and their families.

Anyone here remember Jess Philips’s response to questions about the mass Cologne NYE sex attacks by migrant Muslim men in 2016?

If you do, her (and her colleagues’) utter cowardice to address the issue of cultural mismatch will not be much of a surprise.

There is a moral vacuum in our government (of all stripes) when it comes to even acknowledging, never mind discussing or prosecuting sex crimes by cultures that do not see western women as equals, or ascribe to them any dignity or respect.

Sadly, I also remember the anti feminist response of many on mumsnet, in UK and EU government and in the media. Women did not cover themselves in glory.

There were some good people hounded off these boards for objecting to unpleasant facts about how cultures I know very well view certain types of women.

OP, you’re not being unreasonable. And any woman who has shouted ‘racist’ when other women are pointing out truths that make them uncomfortable should feel deep shame.

@CherryBowl no what was it

"But why did we, a Western country, allow ourselves to get to the point where we are scared to implement the law."

I hope I am not in a minority of one in objecting severely against the notion of Sharia legal systems taking root in the UK. We have 2000 years of jurisprudence in Europe by way of Roman law, and common law in Anglo-Saxon territory, much of it with written documentation.

It's not prejudice against brown skinned people; my DH has just spent 11 days in an acute hospital ward over Christmas, where the Muslim members of staff took on the major workload to allow their Christian colleagues to celebrate Christmas. Fairly sure the favour will be repaid by the Christians when Eid comes around.

DH has got through a health catastrophe in the last week, and has been looked after brilliantly by a completely multi-racial NHS team. The Nigerian doctor I hugged in thanks said, we fast-tracked him through the system because he understood the pressures, and because he was always respectful and polite to everyone, from the ward cleaners to the caterers; he never asked for more attention than necessary. We go the extra mile to get nice people home. Not the exact words, but you get the gist.

‘And nor should it. That way lies madness.’ Upthread I think this related to victims crowd funding to obtain written transcripts of their cases on court (sentencing verdicts).

So if a young working class woman with limited finances who was raped and then failed by social services and the police and MPs and medical professionals and MPs etc cannot afford to obtain a written copy of the notes of her own gang rape trial she shouldn’t be allowed to receive it? Only the rich or those with wealthy parents can access their data? Or should no one access their own data?

No doubt the family courts keep secret the hearings where children born from rape torture men are forced to see their father too as it’s not in the public interest.

@CandlesOrangesRedribbon Jess reckoned it was akin to "heckling" on Birmingham's Broad Street.

Mass sexual assault and digital rape of (as it turned out) over 1,000 German females in one night.

So many of us won’t be surprised to hear she’s still in denial. And still throwing girls and women under a bus.

In those circumstances there should be no charge. A victim of crime should automatically be given free access to their data.

Who has been held to account?
Where are the rapists now?
Who knew about this?
Who did nothing?
why did they do nothing?
What state are the girls in now?
What compensation should they have?

Have these women a massive legal case against the state as they were failed to be safeguarded?

I would like to read the rest of this if anyone has access to- it’s a telegraph article. I can only see the first bit. Did the criminal appeal the length of sentence?

‘Child molester given longer sentence as victims are Asian
Judge right to give West Yorkshire paedophile tougher sentence as Asian sex abuse victims suffer more than those who are white, Appeal Court rules……’

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11871975/Child-molester-given-longer-sentence-as-victims-are-Asian.html

Guardian link - yes he appealed saying his sentence was too harsh.

amp.theguardian.com/law/2015/sep/17/asian-child-sex-victims-suffer-more-than-white-children-court-rules

Mr Justice Walker, sitting with Lord Justice Laws and Mr Justice Mitting, concluded: "There is no basis for saying that Judge Cahill adopted an incorrect starting point. This application for leave to appeal against sentence must be refused."

What on earth have I just read? Someone needs to conduct an expose on this entire, corrupt, rotten system. Only by dragging these shameful cover ups into the light can change come. It's utterly sickening.

The more stories like this I hear the more depressed I get, it seems like the whole justice system has been corrupted. And the last story about jess phillips was when she was saying she got treated quicker in the NHS because of her stance on gaza. Seems like a total narcissist whenever I hear her speak.

Yes I’ve just read the entire thing. I’d like to compare the Telegraph if anyone has access.

He appealed his 7 year sentence as if the under 13 victim had been white it would have been a shorter sentence.

My mind has been blown this past three days.

The legal system affirming than what girls are less valued than Asian girls because their marriage prospects may be harmed?

Institutional abuse of white girls.

Mass sexual assault and digital rape of (as it turned out) over 1,000 German females in one night.

And that was just Cologne. It saw the worst of it but there were similar attacks across other German cities.

There was then a think piece in the Guardian blaming the women.

Here's Jess Phillips response. Champion of women my arse:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/29/labour-mp-jess-phillips-defends-remarks-about-cologne-sex-attacks

@Atissues I'm stunned, absolutely stunned.
The fathers were concerned the rape had damaged their daughter's marriage prospects.

We have a 2, 3 ,4 whatever tier system in place.

We have one foot in a modern democracy where we are trying to move forward and bizarrely one foot in medieval muck.

I listened to Maggie Oliver on Talk Radio earlier basically saying that while she would love another enquiry, she doesn’t trust anyone to carry it out properly. The previous enquiry was a whitewash - they only spent two weeks of it on grooming gangs, spoke mainly to police forces (who I’m sure were covering their arses) and only one victim and only really focused on Rotherham. The enquiry was basically so broad that it failed to look into the specific problem of rape gangs and the cover up of them - undoubtedly by design.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 be very clear.

On both hands it's assaulting females it's saying to the perp, you raped a muslin girl And that will carry a higher sentence than a white girl.

It's also saying to the muslim girl you are only worth your Virginity and being pure to the arranged marriage you are probably forced into.
We' uphold the Roberry of your rights in the UK because you are a Muslim girl. ..

In both ways that judge crushed both girls