Rochdale’s MP, Paul Waugh, speaks out after convictions in latest grooming gang case, calls for tougher inquiries and full accountability.
Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale, has issued a strong statement following the latest convictions of members of a Pakistani heritage grooming gang that operated in the town during the 2000s.
In the statement, released for immediate publication, Mr Waugh praised the two survivors, known as ‘Girl A’ and ‘Girl B', for their courage in giving evidence against their abusers.
“I want to pay tribute to the bravery of ‘Girl A’ and ‘Girl B’, the two victims of this horrific abuse,” he said. “The women’s courage in giving evidence puts their cowardly abusers to shame.”
Mr Waugh also thanked Greater Manchester Police and prosecutors for their work, saying the convictions show that justice will be pursued no matter how long ago crimes were committed.
“These are disgusting crimes and I trust the court will impose tough sentences that match the severity of these offences,” he added.
The statement makes clear that the offenders do not represent the wider Pakistani community in Rochdale. “Families of Pakistani heritage are as outraged by these perverts as any other,” he said, “and many are furious that they risk tarnishing their whole community.”
Mr Waugh highlighted the findings of Andy Burnham’s earlier independent inquiry, which exposed failures by local authorities and led to renewed investigations. He echoed comments made in court, which noted that the abuse took place “under the noses of social workers and others who should have done far more”.
He called for stronger powers for inquiries into such crimes: “Whether we do that through a national inquiry or through local ones like the one in Rochdale, the inquiries need statutory powers to force witnesses to appear before them.”
The MP insisted that no institution or group should be above scrutiny. “No political party, no council, no police officer, no social worker, no racial group should be exempt from the need to find the facts.”
Mr Waugh welcomed the upcoming government-commissioned audit led by Baroness Louise Casey into the scale and racial profile of group-based child sexual abuse in the UK and urged swift action once its findings are released.
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