MP subject to abuse as child ‘appalled’ by members ‘weaponising’ grooming
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An MP who suffered domestic abuse as a child said he is “appalled” by the actions of the Conservative shadow home secretary and Reform UK members “weaponising” the issue. Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Josh Babarinde said the Conservative’s Chris Philp and Reform members were using the discussion around a national investigation into child sexual abuse as a “political football”.
During a statement from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on child sexual exploitation, Mr Philp was met with shouts of “shame” from the Labour benches as he told the Commons: “It is not far-right to stand up for victims of mass rape.”. Speaking soon after Mr Babarinde in the chamber, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said Labour was “banging on about playing politics with this important issue”.
The MP for Ashfield continued: “Will the Home Secretary agree with me that we need a specific inquiry into why young British, white girls are being systematically raped by men of Pakistani heritage?”. In 2014, a report by Professor Alexis Jay described how more than 1,400 children were sexually exploited by gangs of mainly Asian males in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was later commissioned by the then government. Mr Babarinde, who has tabled a private members bill that would make domestic abuse a specific legal offence, said he was appalled by the sentiments expressed by other opposition members as he referred to the Jay report.
