Oldham has been at the centre of an almighty row over grooming gangs – but this is only the latest chapter in a long story.
The government announced today (October 16) that it would help Oldham council set up its own local inquiry into child sexual exploitation. It comes after the local authority’s request for a government-led inquiry was rejected, reigniting furore over the issue.
That request from the council followed years of furious rows in Oldham over who should lead a review into the town’s gruesome history of grooming gangs. These rows only intensified when an inquiry commissioned by Andy Burnham was completed in 2022.
The independent assurance review into child sexual exploitation commissioned by the Greater Manchester mayor identified serious failings in Oldham, but found ‘no evidence’ of a cover-up. This conclusion sparked renewed calls for the government to lead an inquiry.
And while the government rejected Oldham council’s request last year, it has now announced that the local authority – and up to four other areas – will get help with setting up its own locally-led inquiry. The latest announcement was part of a £10m package of funding.
It is unclear how much of this money Oldham council will get for its own inquiry at this stage, but the Manchester Evening News understands that such an inquiry would cost millions. And crucially, it may not satisfy those who have called for a national probe.
GMP whistleblower Maggie Oliver
(Image: ABNM Photography)
Former GMP detective Maggie Oliver, the whistleblower who helped expose grooming gangs in Greater Manchester over the last two decades, is among those who believes a new public inquiry is needed. She warned home secretary Yvette Cooper earlier today (January 16) that she would take her to court if the recommendations of the last national inquiry are not implemented in full.
Ms Cooper later told MPs that the government would set out a timetable for the implementation of these recommendations by Easter. But speaking to the M.E.N. earlier this week, Mrs Oliver said that the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse that was completed in 2022 did not delve deep enough into the issue of grooming gangs.
And as an advocate for victims of abuse, Mrs Oliver said she has spoken to several survivors in Oldham who believe the local review commissioned by Mr Burnham was not good enough either. She told the M.E.N. she has not been reassured that ‘the truth was told’.
But Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor in the North West who secured the first major convictions of grooming gangs in Rochdale 12 years ago, believes that locally-led inquiries are the best way forward. And he points to Telford’s inquiry as a prime example of that.
The Telford inquiry, which was chaired by barrister Tom Crowther KC, asked the right questions, according to Mr Afzal. “How do we keep children safe, not how did we keep children safe,” he explained. “That’s why I’m very nervous about another national inquiry.”
Welcoming the announcement by the government today (January 16), Mr Afzal said: “Telford is the gold standard for such inquiries.
“Independent local inquiries give contextual understanding, have community trust, allow for specialisation and more focused resources, give a quicker response and have autonomy and accountability.”
Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal
(Image: BBC / Sandpaper Films)
The former chief prosecutor also praised Mr Crowther, who will now lead the government’s plans for local reviews. “He was probably too thorough and he was more expensive but he didn’t just accept what people told him,” Mr Afzal said. “He really explored and examined and challenged where it was appropriate.
“I’m not entirely convinced [the Oldham review] had the same level of expertise.”
The home secretary said that Mr Crowther will help the government develop the framework for victim-centred, locally-led inquiries ‘where they are needed’, starting with Oldham council and up to four other pilot areas. She said that local inquiries are more effective, pointing to practical changes resulting from the Telford inquiry such as CCTV in taxis.
She announced an extra £5m for this work. But she said that local authorities could also use this to explore other ways to support victims, including through local panels.
Responding to the announcement, Oldham council leader Arooj Shah said: “We welcome this announcement and indeed any action that the government takes to establish genuinely survivor-led inquiries into historical sexual abuse. Survivors must be at the heart of any inquiry into these horrendous failings. Oldham’s survivors can be confident that by involving someone of the stature of Tom Crowther KC they will have a voice and a stake in our inquiry.
“As we work with government on the details of this plan, we will also make sure that survivors are involved every step of the way. I’m proud that Oldham will help shape future survivor-led inquiries across the country. It is a small chink of light and hope from this dark era of our borough and our country.
“I am also glad that the government is asking Baroness Casey to look at the drivers of this specific type of abuse as part of her review. Child sexual abuse is perpetrated by people of all races and religions, and inflicted on people of all races and religions. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask questions about any drivers of this very specific type of offending. We need to do more to understand why this particular pattern of abuse is more prevalent among some groups of men.
“That’s not racism – it’s common sense. It’s not religion or race that defines these crimes, it’s the crimes that define these men. There is no corner in any part of our society for these people – the only place they belong is in prison after facing the full force of justice.”