Elon Musk’s comments about the UK’s handling of grooming gangs have been called “misjudged and misinformed” by Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Musk had accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing to prosecute gangs involved in abusing young girls, and suggested that government minister Jess Phillips should be jailed for not ordering a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation.
Streeting defended the government’s actions, saying they take child sexual exploitation seriously and are implementing the recommendations of an independent inquiry. He invited Musk to help by using his platform to combat these issues.
While Musk’s views were criticized by the Conservative Party for spreading misinformation, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage praised Musk for his support. However, Tory MPs like Alicia Kearns said Musk was distracting from the real issues and focusing on the wrong things, including supporting controversial figures like Tommy Robinson.
Musk’s criticism comes amid ongoing investigations into child sexual abuse, with recent data showing that group-based child sexual abuse represents a significant percentage of sexual offenses against children. Local governments and politicians like Mayor Andy Burnham are urging the public to focus on solving the issue without making it a political matter.
In the midst of this, some have suggested that Musk should focus on U.S. politics, where he’s set to advise President-elect Trump, rather than getting involved in UK matters.
Many believe that more inquiries are unnecessary, and it’s time for action based on the already existing investigations, which have revealed the widespread nature of child sexual abuse in the UK.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, which concluded in 2022, highlighted the scale of the problem, but its recommendations have yet to be fully implemented. (Source: BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxdzng92lno