I wrote recently about the “inquiry” that Rupert Lowe MP had undertaken into grooming gangs. I concluded my note by observing that a properly constituted, independent judge led inquiry is necessary to properly understand what has happened, what went wrong, why and what needs to happen to bring an end to this problem and prevent it recurring in the future. Here are some of the questions that I believe such an inquiry would need to address:
What is the true scale of the problem?
The Rupert Lowe report says:
“The scale of the crimes committed is staggering. It has been previously established that, at the very least, 250,000 young white girls have been subjected to repeated rape, gang rape, trafficking, torture, pregnancy, forced Islamic conversion, and lifelong trauma.1 The true number is probably higher.”
However, this is not the case. The true number of victims has not yet been identified. The 250,000 figure arose out of speeches and comments from politicians but it has essentially been created through extrapolation, making assumptions based on the known reported crimes. This approach is questionable. An inquiry should seek to see if it is possible to identify a reliable estimate of those affected. We are aware though of over 1000 cases that have been under national review.
What is the impact of religion, ethnicity and culture?
There are a number of things to consider here. First of all, is this a predominantly as claimed, a crime committed mainly by Asian/Pakistani/Muslim men? What we need to consider here is that the scope of inquiries can set things up to give us a perspective that may or may not be the whole picture.
Some questions that I would like to see answered include:
- Do we have data for non-white victims of sexual violence, particularly in relation to the targeting and grooming of children?
- Do we have data relating to perpetrators acting as part of gangs and/or individually?
- Can we identify and distinguish cases where there is a clear racial proponent -i.e. where the perpetrators were from a different ethnicity to the victims and where ethnicity religion seemed to be a motivating factor.
Correlation or causation -is there a link to Islam and what exactly is it?
We cannot ignore the apparent correlation in terms of the data we have. Though the questions above may give greater clarity. If it is confirmed that there is a clear correlation, or even if not but we are able to identify a significant number of cases where there is a potential link to Islam then there are questions to consider. If perpetrators believe that they are justified by their religion’s teachings then this should not be ignored. I have not been convinced by reports/investigations on this matter so far. I have tended to be lightweight.
What we need to consider is both the actual statements that we find in the Quran, how it is interpreted and applied and whether or not we see similar factors at work in other countries and contexts. We should consider whether or not there are particular attitudes encouraged towards women and girls and whether their religious status as non-Muslims plays a part in how they are perceived by men from Muslim communities.
What factors do we need to consider in terms of White British culture?
We will want to consider the extent to which young girls have been failed by their own culture? We have highlighted above, questions about attitudes within Islam towards women and girls. However, we also need to consider how men and boys view women and girls in white working class and middle class contexts. We also need to consider the perceptions that girls are encouraged to have of themselves from an early age. We might want to ask why it is that the assumption seemed to be from authorities that the victims were promiscuous and that sexual activity was consensual (noting that the children involved were below the legally recognised age of consent).
A number of the cases referred to in Lowe’s report involved broken homes, and children that were already witness to and victims of domestic violence, potentially including sexual violence in the home and in society. The inquiry may also wish to address the question of how a society where pornography is readily available and sexual activity and sexual violence is frequently portrayed in film, television and other forms of popular culture such as music.
How have concerns about DEI affected previous criminal investigations and the actions of social services?
There have been a number of suggestions, including by whistle blowers that there was a reluctance by those in positions of authority and responsibility to properly investigate reported abuse. This has reportedly been driven by a fear of being identified as racist.
I hope that when the official inquiry finally gets going and reports that it will address those questions. I’m not convinced that Rupert Lowe’s report does adequately investigate and address them. Christians should be concerned to see these things addressed both to ensure full justice for victims and to contribute to a healthier society around us.
Faithroots 