Starmer insists grooming gangs inquiry 'will never be watered down' after fourth survivor quits victims' panel
This week has seen four women quit the victims and survivors liaison panel, with survivors levelling heavy criticism at the Home Office
The Prime Minister has promised the grooming gangs inquiry will “never be watered down” after four survivors resigned from its victims panel.
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Challenged over the resignations today, Sir Keir Starmer declared “injustice will have no place to hide” as he told MPs Baroness Louise Casey will support the inquiry.
This week has seen four women quit the victims and survivors liaison panel, with survivors levelling heavy criticism at the Home Office over their handling of the inquiry.
One of the women, Ellie-Ann Reynolds, said victims were not allowed to seek support from friends or family, from other survivors and were "discouraged" from speaking outside of the panel.
Read more: Grooming gangs 'rife' in London as survivors and experts label Sadiq Khan's denials 'delusional'
Speaking during PMQs today, the Prime Minister said: “The inquiry is not and will never be watered down. Its scope will not change.
“It will examine the ethnicity and religion of the offenders, and we will find the right person to chair the inquiry.
“I can tell the house today, Mr Speaker, that Dame Louise Casey will now support the work of the inquiry, and it will get to the truth. Injustice will have no place to hide.”
Baroness Casey, a former victims’ commissioner, previously led a “national audit” of group-based child sexual exploitation that found “many examples” of organisations shying away from discussion of “ethnicity or cultural factors” in such offences “for fear of appearing racist”.
Her findings, published in June 2025, prompted Sir Keir to order the creation of the national inquiry.
Sir Keir defended his government’s handling of the inquiry after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, speaking on behalf of survivor Fiona Goddard, asked: “Being dismissed and contradicted by a minister when you’re telling the truth takes you right back to that feeling of not being believed all over again.
“Fiona’s question is simple: ‘What’s the point in speaking up if we’re just going to be called liars?’”
It comes after Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds apologised to the women for what they saw as silencing and insisted it "shouldn't have happened".
She told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that she didn't know why the women would have been told they couldn't speak outside the panel, with the women previously reporting that they felt "gagged".
She said: "I think for me, the voices of these women are at the front and centre of this inquiry. They have to be."
In the Commons on Wednesday, Sir Keir defended Ms Phillips, saying: “I respect the views of all the survivors, and there are different views, I accept that.
“But the safeguarding minister, I think, has probably more experience than any other person in this House in dealing with violence against women and girls.
“Alongside her will be Louise Casey. These two individuals have spent decades standing up for those who have been abused and sexually exploited, and I absolutely think they’re the right people to take this forward.”
Baroness Casey’s appointment to assist the grooming gangs inquiry is the latest role for a woman who has acted as a government troubleshooter for much of the last three decades.
Prior to her national audit earlier this year, she led efforts to tackle homelessness and anti-social behaviour under Sir Tony Blair’s government, became the country’s first victims’ commissioner in 2010, and carried out a review of standards in the Metropolitan Police following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer in 2021.
Among other roles, she also conducted a review in 2014 of Rotherham Council’s children’s services following a separate inquiry into the local authority’s handling of child sexual abuse.