Sir Keir Starmer announces national research into care gangs

The prime minister has announced that there will be a full national legal investigation into care gangs.

Sir Keir Starmer said that he had accepted the recommendations of an audit of Baroness Louise Casey in the data and evidence about the nature and scale of group -based sexual abuse of children.

Baroness Casey has recommended that a national examination is required, he said. The investigation will cover England and Wales.

Sir Keir has confronted criticism for months because he is not willing to set up one.

At the beginning of the year, the government rejected a national investigation, with the argument that it had already been investigated in a seven–Annual research led by professor Alexis Jay.

But with reporters on their way to the G7 top, which starts tomorrow in Canada, the prime minister said: “I never said that we should no longer look at a problem.”

He added that Baroness Casey originally thought that a new investigation was not needed, but she had changed his mind after she had looked at it in recent months.

“She came to the opinion that there should be a national investigation based on what she has seen,” said Sir Keir.

“I have read every word of her report and I will accept her recommendation.

“I think that’s the right thing to do, based on what she put in her audit.

“I asked her to do that work to check for this.

“She did that work for me and read her report … I will now carry out her recommendation.”

He added that it “will take a little time” to set the investigation, but added that “it will be legally under the research law”.

This means the research will be able to force witnesses to provide evidence.

A senior government source said the investigation “would coordinate a series of targeted local investigations”.

This includes new local investigations, which will take place, even if local authorities do not want there.

The local investigations will have the authority to provide evidence and witnesses to appear.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to make a statement in the commons on Monday, and the Baroness Casey report will also be published.

The issue of care gangs was put into the spotlight at the beginning of this year, partly fed by technical billionaire Elon Musk, who criticized the Premier for not calling a national investigation.

A row between the two focused on controversial cases in which groups of men, mainly of Pakistani descent, were convicted of sexual abuse and raping predominantly young white girls in cities such as Rotherham and Rochdale.

In January, the government stopped launching a legal national investigation In care gangs, despite the idea that supports some Labor MPs.

Instead, Cooper announced a “fast” audit of three months, led by Baroness Casey, in the data and evidence about the nature and scale of group -based sexual abuse of children.

Cooper said that the assessment would include investigating the demography of the gangs and their victims, as well as “cultural administrators” behind the insulting.

The Minister of the Interior also unveiled plans for five local questions supported by the government – which have yet to be held in Oldham and four other areas that still have to be mentioned.

Baroness Casey’s review, which started in January, would take three months And was delayed.

Earlier this month, Minister of Home Office Jess Phillips apologized for the delay and said that Baroness Casey had requested a “short extension” and that the report “Very soon” was expected.

The conservatives have long been calling for a national investigation into care gangs, with the power to force people to provide evidence.

Responding to Saturday’s announcement, the leader of the party, Kemi Badenoch, said: “Keir Starmer does not know what he thinks, unless an official report told him that.

“Just as he turned the concern about the winter fuel payment and then had to deal with it.

“Since January I have repeatedly requested a complete national investigation.

“It is time that he acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for six wasted months.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the decision “a welcome U-turn”.

In a message about X, Farage wrote: “A complete legal investigation, done correctly, will uncover the multiple shortcomings of the British establishment. I repeat the words ‘done correctly’ – this cannot be a whitewash.

“It’s time for victims to receive the righteousness they deserve and for perpetrators to face the full power of the law.”

Former reform UK MP Rupert Lowe said on X that “nothing of this” would have happened without Elon Musk and wrote: “No investigation, no justice, nothing.”

“He [Musk] deserves enormous credit for this“Lowe added.

Musk answered with a heart emoji.