Council demands a statutory inquiry into child abuse after prior rejections, citing need for judge-led review.
The Conservative Group requested this special council meeting. They think a judge-led review has more power. Jess Phillips said local inquiries can create more change. The motion passed. It demands witnesses give evidence. People in the public gallery applauded the decision.
The BBC asked the Home Office for a response. Councillor Lewis Quigg wants to correct a wrong. He said children suffered horrible abuse. Councillor David Arnott said this issue lasted too long. He noted the council made many failures.
Debate involved motion changes. They aimed to avoid survivor retraumatization. The council wants victims’ voices prioritized. They asked for regional support too.
Councilors debated focusing on Pakistani men. Councillor Helen Bishop called it too narrow. She asserted it risked overlooking other communities. Telford’s inquiry found abuse of 1,000 girls over four decades. Some cases were missed due to race anxieties. Most suspects were South Asian men.
A 2022 report reviewed Oldham child abuse cases (2011-2014). It found the police and council failed children. Investigators found no cover-up of grooming gangs.
Councillor Abdul Wahid said justice must happen. He stated too many existed if there was even one predator. He asserts they want to remove these criminals. He clarified it’s not just one community involved. Criminals of different backgrounds did it. Communities and institutions of every ethnicity covered it up. Police and social services failed the victims. Politicians ignored the victims.