Martin, I am afraid this statement ". . . almost all of the perpetrators identified in the major criminal cases prosecuted are of Pakistani heritage" is simply untrue. The Home Office conducted a major study into child sexual exploitation and found that while some studies show a possible overrepresentation of black and Asian offenders, it is not possible to conclude this is representative of all grooming gangs. Indeed, the Home Office and CPS figures show that 80% of those who are convicted of grooming and CSE in the UK are white men. While I appreciate your intent in differentiating between Asian and Pakistani, I'm sorry that your otherwise great piece repeats what is a fully busted racist trope, namely, that Pakistani men are uniquely predisposed to rape white girls and women. I'm sure the many male friends of Pakistani origin that you have, as I do, would find it both hurtful and wrong that the actions of some Pakistani men are now being extrapolated to an entire community for what are, undoubtedly, deliberate and sinister purposes (any time the Islamophobe Douglas Murray comes into the debate, you can be sure a torrent of eloquent but utterly untrue will follow - see his retraction of outrageous statements he made at the University of Amsterdam when he was in the Netherlands paying fan-boy homage to far-right rock star Geert Wilders. As Robert Shrimsley astutely wrote in the FT this week:
Let’s recognise this latest political furore over grooming gang scandals for what it is. The sudden sanctimonious concern among politicians of the right for a subset of child rape victims — only those abused by men of Pakistani heritage — is beyond cynical. Conservative leaders who failed to implement the recommendations of the last inquiry into child sexual abuse suddenly demand a new one. The runner-up for the Tory leadership blames the abuse on “alien cultures” (was it alien cultures when the perpetrators were in the Roman Catholic or Anglican church?). A Reform UK MP demands an inquiry “into why young British white girls are being raped by men of Pakistani heritage”. The intent is clear and spurred on by competition for the ethno-nationalist affections of Elon Musk. It is a dream scandal for those exploiting it. Either they secure their demand for a new national inquiry, to then be further milked, or they can cry cover-up. And it plays to a wider agenda of smashing faith in the institutions of liberal society.
We can see the falsehood in many of the claims. The grooming gangs that preyed on young girls in towns such as Rotherham, Oxford, Oldham and Telford have not been ignored. There have been multiple inquiries over the past decade. Far from being revealed by the street thug Tommy Robinson, it was exposed by The Times newspaper — you don’t get more mainstream media than that. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at the time director of public prosecutions, was praised at the time for acting to ensure convictions.
Martin, I am afraid this statement ". . . almost all of the perpetrators identified in the major criminal cases prosecuted are of Pakistani heritage" is simply untrue. The Home Office conducted a major study into child sexual exploitation and found that while some studies show a possible overrepresentation of black and Asian offenders, it is not possible to conclude this is representative of all grooming gangs. Indeed, the Home Office and CPS figures show that 80% of those who are convicted of grooming and CSE in the UK are white men. While I appreciate your intent in differentiating between Asian and Pakistani, I'm sorry that your otherwise great piece repeats what is a fully busted racist trope, namely, that Pakistani men are uniquely predisposed to rape white girls and women. I'm sure the many male friends of Pakistani origin that you have, as I do, would find it both hurtful and wrong that the actions of some Pakistani men are now being extrapolated to an entire community for what are, undoubtedly, deliberate and sinister purposes (any time the Islamophobe Douglas Murray comes into the debate, you can be sure a torrent of eloquent but utterly untrue will follow - see his retraction of outrageous statements he made at the University of Amsterdam when he was in the Netherlands paying fan-boy homage to far-right rock star Geert Wilders. As Robert Shrimsley astutely wrote in the FT this week:
Let’s recognise this latest political furore over grooming gang scandals for what it is. The sudden sanctimonious concern among politicians of the right for a subset of child rape victims — only those abused by men of Pakistani heritage — is beyond cynical. Conservative leaders who failed to implement the recommendations of the last inquiry into child sexual abuse suddenly demand a new one. The runner-up for the Tory leadership blames the abuse on “alien cultures” (was it alien cultures when the perpetrators were in the Roman Catholic or Anglican church?). A Reform UK MP demands an inquiry “into why young British white girls are being raped by men of Pakistani heritage”. The intent is clear and spurred on by competition for the ethno-nationalist affections of Elon Musk. It is a dream scandal for those exploiting it. Either they secure their demand for a new national inquiry, to then be further milked, or they can cry cover-up. And it plays to a wider agenda of smashing faith in the institutions of liberal society.
We can see the falsehood in many of the claims. The grooming gangs that preyed on young girls in towns such as Rotherham, Oxford, Oldham and Telford have not been ignored. There have been multiple inquiries over the past decade. Far from being revealed by the street thug Tommy Robinson, it was exposed by The Times newspaper — you don’t get more mainstream media than that. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at the time director of public prosecutions, was praised at the time for acting to ensure convictions.