Baroness Louise Casey’s review into child sex abuse by grooming gangs found suspects were often “disproportionately likely” to be Asian men, the Home Secretary has said.
Yvette Cooper unveiled the findings from the rapid national audit to MPs, after the Prime Minister committed to launching a national inquiry into the abuse.
Ms Cooper said the overrepresentation was found when Baroness Casey examined local level data into three police force areas, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, and in serious case reviews.
The Home Secretary said: “While much more robust national data is needed, we cannot and must not shy away from these findings, because, as Baroness Casey says, ignoring the issues, not examining and exposing them to the light, allows the criminality and depravity of a minority of men to be used to marginalise whole communities.”
On the issue, she added that Baroness Casey refers to examples of organisations “avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist or raising community tensions”.
Ms Cooper said: “These findings are deeply disturbing, but most disturbing of all, as Baroness Casey makes clear, is the fact that too many of these findings are not new.”
