LONDON: The majority of grooming gang offences are committed by white men, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). This comes after Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, made unfounded accusations against British-Pakistani men.
Newly released figures from the police database reveal that in the first three quarters of 2024, 85% of “group-based” child abusers were white, where ethnicity data was available. In 2023, 83% of offenders belonged to the same group.
Richard Fewkes, director of the NPCC’s Hydrant programme tackling child sexual abuse, said there is no significant issue tied to any specific ethnicity or community. He emphasized that the data reflects the ethnic composition of the general population.
Fewkes’ comments follow Elon Musk’s social media posts targeting the UK government. The tech billionaire falsely accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of complicity in grooming cases during his tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Musk also labeled safeguarding minister Jess Phillips a “rape genocide apologist.”
Grooming Gangs and Ethnicity Breakdown
Data from the NPCC shows that in 2023, the largest share of child sexual abuse suspects, 1,884 individuals (83%), were white. Pakistani suspects accounted for 62 (2.7%) cases. From January to September 2024, 1,623 suspects (85%) were white, while 75 (3.9%) were Pakistani.
When cases of institutional or familial abuse are excluded, the figures show that in 2023, 224 (70%) suspects involved in group-based grooming were white, compared to 22 (6.9%) Pakistani suspects. In 2024, from January to September, 144 (63%) suspects were white, and 31 (13.7%) were Pakistani.
However, the data is incomplete. Ethnicity was recorded for only 34% of suspects in 2023 and 39% in the first nine months of 2024. The NPCC stated that data for the fourth quarter of 2024 is still being compiled.
Criticism and Debate
The release of this data follows heightened public and political debates about child sexual exploitation. Some right-wing and anti-immigration figures, including Nigel Farage, have called for an inquiry into grooming gangs of Pakistani men, fueling divisive narratives.
Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs, the NPCC’s lead for child protection, warned against focusing solely on one ethnicity. She noted that recent debates have marginalized victims of other types of abuse, making them feel their cases are less significant. Riggs stressed the need to address threats from all communities and ensure that all victims feel supported.
Impact on Victims
Riggs also highlighted the emotional toll of recent headlines. She said victims might be forced to relive their trauma due to the media’s focus on grooming gangs. Gabrielle Shaw, CEO of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, condemned the weaponization of victims’ pain for political agendas. She called such actions “reprehensible.”
Political Fallout
Elon Musk’s online campaign against Prime Minister Keir Starmer has dominated recent discussions in Westminster. Musk accused Starmer of failing to address grooming gangs effectively during his time as director of public prosecutions.
Starmer defended his record, stating that he tackled child sexual abuse “head-on” during his tenure. He accused critics, including Musk, of spreading lies and misinformation.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party criticized Labour MPs for rejecting a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Musk labeled this decision “unbelievable.”
Grooming Gang Statistics and Future Measures
Grooming gangs account for 3.7% of the 115,489 child sexual abuse cases reported in 2023, according to analysis by The Telegraph. This equates to two offences daily.
Fewkes said the NPCC’s data would inform officer training and help local police forces address these crimes more effectively. He also noted that the recent focus on grooming gangs has diverted attention from other forms of child sexual abuse, particularly within families.
Riggs and Fewkes both emphasized the importance of tackling all forms of abuse, regardless of the offenders’ ethnicity. This approach, they said, ensures a fair and comprehensive response to the issue.
The debate over grooming gangs, fueled by misinformation and political agendas, continues to divide opinions. The NPCC’s data, however, offers a clearer picture of the reality, highlighting the need to address child sexual abuse across all communities.
