Local inquiry into grooming gangs needed in London – former mayoral candidate
Local inquiry into grooming gangs needed in London – former mayoral candidate
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There should “absolutely” be a local inquiry into the extent grooming gangs are operating in London, according to the former Conservative mayoral candidate. Susan Hall, who also chairs the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, said the public needed “transparency” on the issue, adding: “In a city of nine million people, I cannot imagine we don’t have this going on”.
Ms Hall was speaking after questioning Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz at City Hall on Wednesday. During the meeting, Mr Twist declined to comment specifically on whether grooming gangs similar to those seen in Rotherham and Rochdale are operating in the capital, but reassured the committee that the Met remained committed to tackling “child exploitation which includes child sexual abuse”.
Ms Hall told the PA news agency: “I know there’s a lot of really good work going on in what they call ‘the space’ now. “But it still leaves that big question. Do we have those grooming gangs in London? And nobody seems to want to answer… This is important because A, transparency. We should know.
“But B, if they know this sort of thing is happening the public would then be even more alert to watching out for it… If what we’re hearing now is ‘well we don’t really have that’, which they’re saying without saying it, then the worry is that people will be more complacent.”.
