London: Over the past 24 hours, social media platform X witnessed an intensed debate on the alleged grooming gangs scandal in the UK, with British MPs and social celebs like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, British author JK Rowling sharing their views on the issue.
Musk criticised the UK's handling of such crimes, directly calling out former CPS head and current Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
In a post on X, Musk wrote, "In the UK, serious crimes such as rape require the Crown Prosecution Service's approval for the police to charge suspects. Who was the head of the CPS when rape gangs were allowed to exploit young girls without facing justice? Keir Starmer, 2008 -2013."
In another post, he wrote, "Free Tommy Robinson!"
Robinson is a British journalist who had released a documentary on the alleged grooming gangs and alleged rapes of young women. Robinson who is in jail was represented by his team on X that once again raised the subject of alleged rapes in the UK.
"Nicole's story. Nicole was raped and pimped at the age of 11 by members of a grooming gang in Telford, one of many, many cases in that area. A man is languishing in solitary confinement in a high security prison because he dared to speak out and tell the truth about this scourge - the industrialised rape, pimping, and molestation of little girls by depraved adult men. That man is Tommy Robinson, " a post on X from Robinson's handle said.
Meanwhile, author JK Rowling also condemned the crimes and questioned potential police corruption, describing the revelations as "almost beyond belief," citing an article of Telegraph by journalist Sam Ashworth-Hayes.
Rowling wrote on X, "The details emerging about what the rape gangs (why call them 'grooming' gangs? It's like calling those who stab people to death 'knife owners') did to girls in Rotherham are downright horrific. The allegations of possible police corruption in the case are almost beyond belief."
Former UK PM Liz Truss also wrote on X about the alleged grooming scandal. She said, "These appalling rape gang cases of girls as young as 11 shame our country. Not only do the perpetrators need to be punished. So do the authorities who turned a blind eye in the name of not inflaming racial tensions."
She added, "The horrific failings on rape gangs show the complete lack of accountability in British criminal justice. The proper role of Lord Chancellor needs to be restored (to its pre-2005 state), and the judiciary should be accountable to them. Ministers should be able to hire and fire senior Home Office Civil Servants. They should also be able to hire and fire senior police officers. Governments are accountable to the people and must be able to change the system. It's the only way to fix this country."
Great Yarmouth Reform MP Rupert Lowe wrote, "Reading these transcripts, these graphic descriptions - I am just so furious that our country allowed this to happen to those vulnerable young girls. It's not 'grooming' gangs, it's rape gangs - mass rape gangs. It makes me ashamed to be British, it really does."
Calling on for stripping of citizenship to foreign nationals involved in the the alleged scandal, Lowe added, "We must deport all foreign nationals involved in the rape gangs - stripping citizenship from dual nationals, and deporting them too. We must stop harbouring those wicked beasts who have raped and abused vulnerable young British girls. The most haunting question of them all - how many vulnerable British girls are still being exploited, raped and abused? Ignored and silenced, all to prevent 'racial tensions' due to the race and religion of the rapists.How many young British girls continue to be sacrificed?"
Newark MP Robert Jenrick said, "As the father of girls the same age, it's hard to comprehend the evil of the grooming gang perpetrators laid bare in these sentencing remarks. I will continue to campaign for whole life sentences. And for the prosecution of all those who covered this up."
The alleged Rotherham scandal happened between 1997 and 2013. On September 13, 2024, the Crown Prosecution Service said that seven men were jailed for committing child sex abuse offences against two young girls in Rotherham during the 2000s. The CPS prosecuted Mohammed Amar, 42, Mohammed Siyab, 44, Yasser Ajaibe, 39, Mohammed Zameer Sadiq, 49, Abid Saddiq, 43, Tahir Yassin, 38, and Ramin Bari, 37, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency as part of Operation Stovewood.
Operation Stovewood was a major investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013. The two victims in this case were aged just 11 and 15 when the offending began. (ANI)