Ministers must “grip” the national grooming gangs inquiry after two survivors of child sexual abuse quit their roles in the probe, Robert Jenrick has said.
Fiona Goddard and Ellie-Ann Reynolds resigned from the inquiry’s victims and survivors liaison panel on Monday, levelling heavy criticism at the Home Office’s handling of the issue.
In her resignation letter, Ms Goddard said the process so far had involved “secretive conduct” with instances of “condescending and controlling language” used towards survivors.
And she cited a “toxic, fearful environment” and a “high risk of people feeling silenced all over again”.
Ms Reynolds accused the Home Office of holding meetings without telling survivors and making “decisions we couldn’t question”.
She added: “The final turning point for me was the push to change the remit, to widen it in ways that downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse.
“For many of us, these were not incidental factors; they were central to why we were targeted and why institutions failed to act. To erase that truth is to rewrite history.”
Both women also expressed concern about the candidates shortlisted to chair the inquiry, one of whom is reportedly a former police chief and the other a social worker.
Ms Goddard said: “This is a disturbing conflict of interest and I fear the lack of trust in services from years of failings and corruption will have a negative impact in survivor engagement with this inquiry.”
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, shadow justice secretary Mr Jenrick said the resignations “cast a real shadow over the Government’s efforts” to set up the inquiry.
Describing them as “a real, real disappointment from the Government”, he said: “They’ve got to take action now and grip this.”
Mr Jenrick also suggested that the inquiry should be chaired by a senior judge with experience of family and criminal law, possibly from another country, rather than anyone with connections to the police or social services.
Asked about the resignations on Tuesday morning, Cabinet minister Peter Kyle told Sky News the Government was “determined to deliver the justice and the information and the truth” that survivors wanted.
Declining to give a “running commentary” on the establishment of the inquiry, he added that victims and survivors were “at the forefront of our minds”.
Ms Goddard and Ms Reynolds’s resignations come amid mounting pressure on the Government to move forward with the inquiry, first announced by the Prime Minister in June, including by setting out terms of reference and appointing a chair.
Sir Keir Starmer faced Opposition criticism over the resignations on Monday, with Kemi Badenoch telling him to “grow a backbone” and “do everything possible to ensure criminal investigations run in parallel now, across the entire system”.
Home Office minister Jess Phillips told MPs last month the appointment process for a chair was in its “final stages” and a panel of survivors and victims would be involved in the selection.
Downing Street said the Government was working “flat out to get the right chair in place”, with survivors “absolutely at the heart of what we’re doing,” but declined to give “running commentary” on the process.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The abuse of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable.
“Any suggestion that this inquiry is being watered down is completely wrong – we are committed to delivering a robust, thorough inquiry that will get to the truth and provide the answers that survivors have so long campaigned for.”
