Jess Phillips worries about her safety after Elon Musk social media attacks
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Safeguarding minister was described as ‘a rape genocide apologist’ by Elon Musk. Jess Phillips has spoken about her fears for her life for the first time since Elon Musk unleashed a torrent of abuse against her over the child grooming scandal. The safeguarding minister found herself at the centre of an international storm when she decided not to agree to a national inquiry into child grooming and rape across towns in the north of England because one had already been conducted.
![[Jess Phillips (Jordan Pettitt/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/06/17/cae288dc0609597be4c80956229ad3e5Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM2MjcwODk3-2.78321683.jpg)
The attacks were led by the X social media platform boss who described her as “a witch” and a “rape genocide apologist” as well as taking aim at prime minister Keir Starmer who yesterday defended his minister. Musk's extraordinary attacks came in response to Ms Phillips rejecting a request for the government to lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.
![[Elon Musk (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/07/10/3294c3ffa9b01ca52f4ea1d22a02f4b9Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM2MzMwNzk2-2.74422652.jpg)
Speaking to ITV News, Ms Phillips admitted she was still reeling from the experience. She said: “Of course I worry about my safety. Of course, and you have to, you know, anyone who has worked in the fields of violence against women and girls. Risk is dynamic and I have to take account of the risks in my life and this is one of them currently.”.
Ms Phillips described Musk’s allegations against her being part of a conspiracy to cover up the scandals to protect Labour politicians as “ridiculous”. She said: “The things that he’s saying are so ridiculous as to initially make me just go what? But then you wake up with the realisation that that’s millions of people that he has said that to and you feel immediately like this is going to turn my world upside down and I have to try and limit for how long that is the case.
