The Senedd has voted against a grooming gangs inquiry specific to Wales. A petition on the Senedd's website has so far gained more than 1,400 supporters. But the Welsh Conservatives - the largest opposition party in the Welsh parliament - pushed for a debate and vote on Wednesday. The motion calling for an inquiry was defeated by 34 votes to 13. The vote was not binding, however, and would not have meant the Welsh government had to now hold an inquiry.
Last month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced £5m to fund local grooming gangs inquiries. The issue was highlighted, when X owner Elon Musk posted about it on the social media platform on New Year's Eve. Warren Gatland leaves role as Wales rugby head coach with immediate effect. Mabli Hall: Hearing baby unlikely to survive after car crashed into pram was 'horrific', dad says. Man who lost £600m Bitcoin fortune considers buying landfill site to search for it.
In his first post on the subject, he wrote: "The government officials responsible, including those in the judiciary, need to [be] fired in shame over this.". Ms Cooper said the UK government was "taking action" on the recommendations of national inquiries and to "uncover the truth where things have gone wrong". 'Didn't know what had happened'. Emily Vaughn, not her real name, has launched a petition calling for an inquiry into grooming gangs, specifically for Wales, after she was groomed from the age of 11.
Ms Vaughn published her memoirs in 2021, detailing how a "vicious cycle" of abuse began after she was groomed into becoming a "county lines" drug trafficker. She told Sky News there was "a lot in Wales that hasn't come out". "There hasn't been any pinpointing of grooming gangs, and just almost as if it doesn't happen here," she added. Ms Vaughn said it was "hard" to open up about her own experience when writing her book.
"I didn't know what had happened to me as a child," she said. "I didn't understand I was running on PTSD because of everything that's happened. "But I'm so glad I did [write the book] because it's brought people who've messaged me privately, even people in Wales who've said the same thing happened to them.". Follow our channel and never miss an update. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
