James Evans MS, Member of the Senedd for Brecon and Radnorshire, has welcomed the “long overdue” announcement of a UK-wide public inquiry into the prevalence of grooming gangs, and urged the Welsh Government to cooperate fully.
The call came after Welsh Conservative Leader Darren Millar MS raised the matter directly with the First Minister in the Senedd, pressing her to release relevant correspondence and agree to meet with a Welsh survivor of abuse.
Mr Millar, who was the first party leader in Wales to call for such an inquiry, challenged the First Minister over her government’s earlier refusal to support a Welsh-specific investigation. He warned that if Labour Ministers had acted in February, a dedicated inquiry for Wales would already be underway.
Mr Millar’s questions followed conversations with “Emily,” a Welsh survivor who was groomed as a teenager, trafficked across the UK, and raped more than a thousand times by gangs of men.
Mr Millar also urged the First Minister to ensure that devolved bodies, including social services, local authorities, the NHS, and the Children’s Commissioner, fully cooperate with the inquiry.
James Evans MS said:
“This inquiry is long overdue. We should have started six months ago, and it’s disappointing that the Welsh Government voted down calls for a Welsh inquiry at the time.
“All of our communities have been impacted by this horrific scandal, and now that a UK-wide inquiry has been announced, the Welsh Government must show it has nothing to hide by publishing all relevant correspondence with police, councils, and social services.
“Most importantly, the First Minister should meet with Emily, a brave Welsh survivor who has spent years campaigning to protect other children. Listening to her story is the least she deserves.”
