Survivors of sexual abuse and their families have expressed deep scepticism about the Scottish Government's newly announced review into grooming gangs, questioning its potential effectiveness. This doubt follows revelations that a key government child protection group stated there was 'no evidence' of such gangs operating in Scotland just four months ago.
Announcement of Review Amid Mounting Pressure
Last week, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced an independent review of evidence concerning group-based sexual exploitation in Scotland. The decision came after women came forward with harrowing accounts of being raped by gangs of Asian men while living in care homes in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
One woman, Fiona Goddard, described being trafficked to Scotland from the north of England by her abusers. She was forced to carry class A drugs, plied with alcohol, and then raped by multiple Asian men. The mounting pressure forced First Minister John Swinney to take action, culminating in last week's announcement.
Survivors' Stories and Systemic Failures
The probe will be led by a consortium of bodies including the Care Inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. However, these very organisations have been accused by survivors of historically turning a blind eye to abuse.
A survivor named Sarah, now 35, was abused over 20 years ago in multiple Edinburgh care homes. She was groomed with alcohol, cigarettes, gifts, and food before being raped by multiple Asian men. Alarmingly, her social work notes reveal that care home staff knew she was associating with these men but took no substantive action, merely warning her about the dangers of unprotected sex.
Sarah stated that while the review shows 'the issue is finally being taken seriously', she harbours significant concerns about its depth and honesty. She questioned whether the review bodies, which 'sit at a distance' from frontline care, would engage directly with residential units, managers, and staff, or examine individual care records to understand systemic failures.
Conflicts of Interest and Calls for a Full Inquiry
The mother of another survivor, known as Taylor, has argued the review does not go far enough and is demanding a full public inquiry. Taylor was 13 when she entered care and was abused by Pakistani men. She only discovered years later, upon obtaining her care records, that staff knew of her associations with these men. Her notes also suggested dozens of other children were at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE).
Taylor's mother highlighted clear conflicts of interest, noting that members of the strategic group advising the review are from organisations implicated in the 'systematic failure to protect vulnerable children'. She called for a 'full, fierce and entirely independent inquiry without any further delay'.
Further complicating matters, Professor Alexis Jay has been appointed as chair of the existing National Child Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group. Minutes from a meeting of this group earlier this year stated there was 'no current evidence' that grooming gang issues seen in England and Wales 'are presenting in the same way in Scotland', though it added there was 'no room for complacency'.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the devastating impacts such abuse has on victims and their families.' They confirmed the independent review is being led by the Care Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, with Professor Jay providing expert advice to ministers on the methodology. This process will inform any decision on the need for a future full-scale inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland.
