Maggie Oliver submission on draft terms for Rape Gang Inquiry

[Imnobody4]

Maggie Oliver has met with Chair of Rape Gang Inquiry re the draft terms of reference.
Link to their submission is at the end of Tweet: Sorry couldn't copy link to text. It's something called flip book, but it opens in X.
https://x.com/i/status/2032105353014346010

Following the meeting, we gathered their submissions & thoughts on the consultation document issued by the Inquiry. This document is to be used to draft Terms of Reference for the Inquiry and is a vitally important roadmap. If the Terms of Reference do not reflect what survivors demand, once again the truth will never be uncovered.

Last week, we submitted our reflections on the consultation document to the Inquiry. This combined the voices of all the survivors/families alongside my own experiences of over two decades, as a detective with @gmpolice and then through @TMOFCharity The Maggie Oliver Foundation . Many issues raised were exactly why I walked away from policing, unable to stand by and allow such injustices to remain hidden, criminal in themselves.

This initial consultation is about framing the issue. Telling the inquiry panel where to look and the questions to ask. The survivors and their families have many impactful ideas on what needs to change and improve. We hope the inquiry panel will continue to engage with them and us throughout the process as only by listening to those who have experienced these horrific failures can we truly understand it and ensure it never happens again.

Thank you for the link ❤️

First part of Maggie's post on X:

In February, The Maggie Oliver Foundation and I arranged a meeting between Baroness Anne Longfield, her fellow inquiry panellists and 2 dozen survivors/families supported by our charity.

Baroness Longfield is to chair the National Inquiry into "Rape Gangs". It was a harrowing meeting with stories shared by survivors about their sexual abuse, rape, exploitation, and how their trauma has been compounded by a broken criminal justice system.

Following the meeting, we gathered their submissions & thoughts on the consultation document issued by the Inquiry. This document is to be used to draft Terms of Reference for the Inquiry and is a vitally important roadmap. If the Terms of Reference do not reflect what survivors demand, once again the truth will never be uncovered.

Some key points raised were:

• Survivors want to see the term ‘rape gangs’ used, NOT sanitised versions such as ‘grooming gangs’.
• Where potential criminality has been committed by professionals these cases MUST be reported as crimes, not referred to professional bodies for internal investigation. - -Anyone allowing a child to be raped should face the full force of the law.
• The inquiry MUST look into whether racial sensitivities meant this abuse was ignored, as highlighted by Baroness Casey last year.
• No organisation, police, CPS, local authorities, should have the ability to influence the scope of the inquiry or veto lines of investigation.
• These crimes involved trafficking victims between locations. Investigations into standalone LA areas will not uncover the truth. The inquiry MUST have the power to undertake wider national investigations.
• Sentencing must be looked at - why were some men charged with "conspiracy to conduct sexual activity with a child" when their young victims were made pregnant by them?! That is child rape.
• We want an ABSOLUTE undertaking from the Government now that they will act on the recommendations of the inquiry immediately - Not like IICSA where four years on, survivors STILL are awaiting action.