The Labour MP who represents the grooming hot spot of Rotherham has performed an about-turn to demand a national inquiry into the scandal.
Sarah Champion said that “nothing less than a national inquiry into the failings of those in authority to prevent and be accountable for their failings” would restore public faith.
Only a week ago the MP warned that an inquiry would mean “another 10 years of waiting”.
Her intervention comes just hours after Paul Waugh, the Labour MP for Rochdale – another grooming hot spot – called for a national probe.
Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out an inquiry, saying it would last too long and would detract from the need to implement findings from a previous report into child sexual abuses.
In what has been described as the “biggest child protection scandal in UK history”, some 1,400 girls in Rotherham fell victim to grooming between 1997 and 2013. Most of the perpetrators were British Pakistanis.
‘National priority’
On Monday afternoon, Ms Champion said: “Child sexual abuse is endemic in the UK and needs to be recognised as a national priority.
“It is clear that the public distrusts governments and authorities when it comes to preventing and prosecuting child abuse, especially child sexual exploitation.
“The statistics on these crimes show the scale of the problem; the high level of public concern and mistrust only emphasises why addressing all forms of child abuse must be a government priority.
“Having worked widely with victims and survivors, and front-line professionals, I have long believed that we need to fully understand the nature of this crime and the failures in the response of public bodies if we are to truly protect children.
“It is clear that nothing less than a national inquiry into the failings of those in authority to both prevent, and be accountable for their failings, in relation to grooming gangs will restore the faith in our safeguarding systems.”
Last week in the Commons, Ms Champion took the opposite view.
She said: “I say with the deepest respect to all those calling for a national inquiry to instead put all their energy into getting the recommendations adopted.
“With the best will in the world – you all know me; I am not making a party political point – another inquiry will mean another 10 years of waiting.
“What I want to see, and what I truly believe we all want to see, is child protection right now.”
In her statement on Monday afternoon, Ms Champion made five recommendations, all of which she said should occur concurrently.
She called on the Government to implement all of the recommendations from the Prof Alexis Jay inquiry into child sex abuse, with a timetable and ring-fenced resources.
The MP requested a national audit to see if “grooming gangs” are still operating, or whether cases have been missed, as well as a national inquiry into the failings of authorities over grooming gangs.
She also called for a new commission to look into the motivations of grooming gang members, alongside a review to ensure that the law is fit for purpose to protect children and prosecute child abusers.
She said: “Transparency and accountability need to be embedded into this process, with victims and survivors sitting at its heart.”
‘I’m not against a national inquiry’
Mr Waugh, who was first elected last year, said he would like to see a new inquiry with “key caveats”.
He told BBC Politics North West: “I’m not against a national inquiry but it has got to have some key caveats.
“First, is it supported by victims because they are the people who have told their stories and it took a lot of bravery to tell those stories?
“They fought for justice for many years, are they going to have to re-experience their trauma every time they explain this? They have done this time and time again.”
He also said any inquiry should “not cut across live police investigations”.
Despite this, Mr Waugh voted against last week’s Commons attempt by the Tories to force a national inquiry.
On the same programme, Cllr Martyn Cox, leader of the Conservatives on Bolton council, said his party in government “made a terrible mistake in not introducing and calling for a national inquiry when in power”.
He added: “But the Labour Party argument seems to be ‘better never than late’. I would much rather it was done late than it not done at all.”
It comes two days after another Labour MP, Dan Carden of Liverpool Walton, also called for a national probe.
“The public compassion for the victims, thousands of young British working-class girls and children, is real,” he said. “The public call for justice must be heeded.”
Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, also called for an inquiry. Last week, Mr Burnham said he would back a “limited” national inquiry into child grooming gangs to compel people to give evidence so “those who may have charges to answer are held to account”.