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The Scottish government is poised to initiate an inquiry into grooming gangs, a decision anticipated to be announced by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth during a speech at Holyrood focused on safeguarding children. This development follows several months of a comprehensive review of evidence within Scotland, led by grooming gangs expert Professor Alexis Jay, which has informed the government’s course of action. The accumulation of information now appears sufficient to justify launching a formal inquiry.
Professor Jay’s review, unveiled in December, was originally intended to guide decisions regarding whether a judge-led public inquiry would be appropriate. The announcement was met with approval from Scottish Labour, while Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, criticized it for falling short and demanded a full public inquiry. Previously, ministers had expressed a need for more evidence before proceeding, but the criteria for launching an inquiry now seem to have been fulfilled.
Controversy has surrounded this issue in recent months, notably involving Justice Secretary Angela Constance. An investigation concluded that Constance breached the ministerial code after inaccurately representing Professor Jay’s position during parliamentary discussions. She had claimed that Jay did not endorse further inquiries into grooming gangs, but Jay later clarified that her comments were not related to investigations in Scotland. Although the breach was deemed unintentional, Constance received a formal written reprimand.
Parallel to developments in Scotland, a related inquiry has been commissioned in England and Wales. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appointed Dame Louise Casey to assess the extent and causes of group-based child sexual abuse nationally and locally. Dame Louise’s review called for a national inquiry, a recommendation that Starmer endorsed as appropriate given the findings. The resulting Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs is empowered to conduct targeted local investigations and compel witness testimonies. Despite plans for a panel of abuse survivors to play a central role, four members resigned in protest over the government’s handling of the inquiry process
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