HCUK calls for national public inquiry into sexual abuse gangs in the United Kingdom

The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) has denounced the “heinous crimes” done against youngsters and young girls and called for a nationwide public investigation into sexual grooming gangs across the United Kingdom.

The group has urged the UK government to uphold its obligations to protect those in danger and to provide justice to those who have been harmed by these crimes.

Citing a 2011 study by The Times that revealed the pervasive grooming of girls in many UK locations, the HCUK emphasized the need of tackling the problem. About 1,400 children had been harmed by predators in a single English town, according to the first investigation, which was conducted three years later.

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The HCUK claims that a thorough inquiry into these events is necessary since the criminal justice system in the UK has consistently failed to protect victims from predatory males. “It is the prime responsibility of the Government to safeguard and protect children and young people against these heinous crimes,” said the HCUK.

The Hindu Council UK’s chair, Krishna Bhan, encouraged the government to take a unified stance in monitoring these crimes and looking into the sexual grooming of young girls nationwide. “The scandal of these grooming gangs should be fully investigated, and the Home Office adopt a consistent way of tracking the disgusting and vile practice,” she said.

The long-term effects of these crimes on kids, their families, and their communities were also criticized by HCUK. “We request the Government to fully investigate the sexual grooming of girls across the UK by holding a national public inquiry, so that efforts can be made to bring justice to the victims, if it can ever be fully done considering the lasting effects of this trauma,” Bhan said.

Additionally, the organization voiced its displeasure with the word “Asian” being used to characterize these grooming gangs, emphasizing the damage that this generalization brings to other populations.

“Hindu and Sikh girls were also their victims,” the HCUK said, applauding the BBC’s recent decision to stop using the word in news stories. But Prime Minister Keir Starmer was criticized by the organization for using the word in a news conference, calling it “whitewashing” the problem.

Debate about Starmer’s 2008–2013 term as the UK’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been rekindled by the larger scandal. Elon Musk, a tech mogul, is among the critics who have said that Starmer neglected to address the problem while serving as DPP. “The true reason is that it would demonstrate how Starmer consistently disregarded the cries of countless young girls and their parents in order to gain political support,” Musk recently said. Starmer is completely reprehensible.

However, Starmer has adamantly defended his record, pointing to record prosecutions of child sexual abuse cases during his term and asserting that he altered the system to guarantee victims’ voices were heard.

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One of the most well-known instances of child exploitation in the United Kingdom is the Rotherham scandal, which occurred between 1997 and 2013. In September 2024, seven men were found guilty of crimes against two girls in the 2000s. Operation Stovewood, a significant National Crime Agency investigation into child sexual exploitation in South Yorkshire, including the convictions. When the abuse started, the victims in this instance were between the ages of 11 and 15.

In an editorial in The Spectator, Hardeep Singh, the deputy director of the Network of Sikh Organizations, offered his thoughts on the subject and urged political leaders to be held more accountable. “There’s still time for self-proclaimed feminist and’strong woman’ Phillips to do the right thing,” Singh said, addressing Jess Phillips, a Labour MP and safeguarding minister.

The Hindu Council UK is mobilizing its resources to promote justice for the victims as the discussion heats up. In order to solve the systemic flaws and guarantee the safety of future generations, the organization believes that a national public investigation is an essential first step.