The UK government announced a fresh investigation into the grooming gangs scandal, which recently led to a public spat between US tech billionaire Elon Musk and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Reacting to the announcement, Musk posted on X, "I hope this is a proper investigation."

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The investigation will include local inquiries in Oldham and up to four other areas. Speaking in Parliament, Interior Minister Yvette Cooper said, “As we have seen, effective local inquiries can delve into far more local detail and deliver more locally relevant answers, and change, than a lengthy nationwide inquiry can provide.”

Also read: Amid spotlight on grooming gang menace in UK, report says most violent or sexual offences went unsolved in 2024

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The government’s new plan will allow more victims to request case reviews, giving police forces a chance to pursue offenders and ensure justice for survivors. Cooper also announced a "rapid audit" to look at the "current scale and nature of gang-based exploitation across the country."

While announcing the investigation, Cooper criticised the lack of progress made in addressing the issue despite previous inquiries and reports. She said, "Far too little action has been taken, and shamefully little progress has been made. That has to change."

However, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp dismissed the government's plans as "totally inadequate."

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Also read: Pakistanis 4 times more likely to be involved in grooming offences in UK: Report

The decision for local inquiries and a national audit comes after calls from the opposition for a new nationwide investigation.

Musk vs Starmer on Grooming Gangs

Elon Musk has been outspoken about the need for a fresh investigation into grooming gangs in the UK. He has accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of mishandling the issue during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

In one of his posts, 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."

Musk also claimed that his British grandmother, Cora Amelia Robinson, would have been at risk of "abduction in present-day Britain."

Also read: In fresh jibe at Starmer, Musk says his British grandmother might have been abducted in present UK

The grooming gang scandal involves sex offences going back decades against British girls by men of mostly South Asian origin in various northern English towns.

(With inputs from agencies)