Expressing concern, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, expressed his apprehension about the possible repercussions of the demonization of the Muslim community in the UK in light of grooming gang cases, fearing it could incite an incident similar to the tragic 2019 New Zealand mosque massacre.
Streeting cautioned against the act of targeting ‘whole communities’ and unfairly labeling them, urging the general public and political figures to avoid such actions. The Labour Party member emphasized that he had no reservations about condemning the crimes committed by sexual abuse gangs in the country.
In an interview with the Guardian, the MP for Ilford North highlighted the dangers associated with ‘reckless and divisive public conversations’, drawing parallels to the appalling events of the New Zealand terrorist attack in 2019, where 51 individuals lost their lives and 89 others were injured at the hands of extremist Brenton Tarrant.
This atrocity took place across two mosques in the south island city of Christchurch, with Tarrant livestreaming his despicable acts online.
Investigations found white supremacist symbols inscribed on his weapons and ammunition, with one clip of bullets having ‘For Rotherham’ scrawled upon it – an apparent a reference to the child sex scandal uncovered in the English town.  Â
There has been widespread outcry in recent weeks regarding Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the cases into grooming gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions.
In the House of Commons, Conservatives accused Labour MPs of having ‘turned a blind eye to justice’ for victims of grooming gangs after their amendment to the Government’s child protection Bill calling for another national inquiry was rejected.
Singling out Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Mr Streeting said: ‘If Kemi Badenoch is in any doubt whatsoever… look on the other side of the world, in Christchurch, New Zealand, where someone walked into a mosque and killed innocent Muslims stone cold dead’.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has shared his fears over the vilification of Britain’s Muslim community in response to grooming gangs
Brenton Tarrant shot dead 51 people and injured 89 more when he attacked two Christchurch mosques in 2019
Investigations found white supremacist symbols inscribed on Tarrant’s weapons and ammunition, with one clip of bullets having ‘For Rotherham’ scrawled upon it
The campaign against the Prime Minister has been primarily led online by X owner Elon Musk, with Mr Streeting admitting that the tech billionaire’s increased involvement in political affairs around the globe highlights the increasing significance of technology such as social media in democracies.
‘We’ve got to make sure that technology is harnessed for the common good, and we’ve got to make sure that it’s governed by democratic principles.
‘There is going to be a big global battle over this over the course of this century, as to whether it’s democracy or tyranny that triumphs in this space’, Mr Streeting said.
Musk has over the last number of weeks accused the Prime Minister of being ‘complicit in the rape of Britain’ over his record as a former Director of Public Prosecutions, and called safeguarding minister Jess Phillips a ‘witch’ and a ‘rape genocide apologist’.
Mr Starmer has defended his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions though and claims he tackled child sexual abuse charges ‘head-on’.
The Health Secretary’s comments come the same week that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage demanded a probe into ‘what extent were gangs of Pakistani men raping young white girls’.
Moreover, the Clacton MP yesterday announced that should the Government fail in launching a fresh inquiry into grooming gangs, that he himself would establish his own next month.
However, Richard Fewkes, the director of the NPCC’s Hydrant programme targeting child sexual abuse, said there is no ‘significant issue’ with ‘any particular ethnicity or setting’.
There has been widespread outcry in recent weeks regarding Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ‘s handling of the cases into grooming gangs during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions
Elon Musk has over the last number of weeks accused the Prime Minister of being ‘complicit in the rape of Britain’ over his record as a former Director of Public Prosecutions
Nigel Farage yesterday announced that should the Government fail in launching a fresh inquiry into grooming gangs, that he himself would establish his own next month
New figures from the police database show that, where ethnicity data was available, 85% of ‘group-based’ child abusers were white in the first three quarters of 2024.
The same data for the whole of 2023 showed 83% of offenders were white.
‘(The data) reflects what you would expect to see across the country in terms of ethnicity,’ Mr Fewkes said.
‘Offences where grooming gangs are involved are predominantly white.
‘There is not a significant issue here with any particular ethnicity or setting’.
