Birmingham Local Conservatives have submitted a motion to be debated at the next Full Council meeting, urging the Government to establish a comprehensive national public inquiry into grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation.
The motion highlights the inadequacy of current and proposed local inquiries, stressing that justice remains elusive for tens of thousands of victims nationwide, including significant numbers within the West Midlands.
A recent interview by Victoria Derbyshire on the BBCs Newsnight revealed that one survivor had been systematically targeted and abused by an estimated 50 perpetrators when she was passed to a Birmingham based grooming gang from Telford. Previous revelations include suppressed reports from West Midlands Police, which identified at least 100 victims and 75 perpetrators in Birmingham alone. The Birmingham Mail has also highlighted concerns about children being trafficked through major transport hubs such as New Street Station, underlining the city’s role as a intersection in these appalling crimes.
Cllr Alex Yip (Con, Sutton Wylde Green), Shadow Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community, Safety and Equalities, commented:
Our motion is intentionally non-partisan because protecting vulnerable children should transcend party politics. This issue demands unity across the council chamber. We urge other parties not to weaken the motion through amendments but rather to join us in this urgent call for action. The scale and severity of grooming gangs require an independent, thorough, and comprehensive inquiry to ensure past failures are understood and future atrocities are prevented. These are horrendous, repulsive crimes, I hope every Councillor will join with us in demanding action.
Cllr Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the Opposition and Birmingham Local Conservatives, added:
The people of Birmingham and beyond have a right to know why previous inquiries and public sector responses have been so limited and ineffective and sometimes hidden. Our communities have suffered greatly, and we must secure justice for the victims and implement much stronger safeguarding measures. It is our moral duty to ensure that no more children fall prey to these horrific crimes. This inquiry is vital to achieving real justice and lasting change. The reality is the horrific crimes that have been carried out against children must be stopped and prevented from happening again, it is a failure of government and the public sector at all levels that these crimes ever happened.
The motion emphasises the need for a holistic inquiry, examining both historic and ongoing exploitation in Birmingham, West Midlands, and across the UK. It calls explicitly on the Government to broaden its approach beyond existing plans, ensuring a full examination of all relevant evidence and systemic issues.
Birmingham Local Conservatives remain dedicated to working collaboratively with all parties and stakeholders to secure the safety of our children and restore public confidence in the authorities tasked with their protection.
