Councillor demands emergency meeting over Rochdale grooming gangs

Number One Riverside

An emergency town hall meeting to discuss historic child sexual exploitation in Rochdale has been demanded.

Councillor Farooq Ahmed has asked for an extraordinary meeting of the council to discuss the matter. The Workers Party councillor believes the issue of grooming gangs is so urgent that it cannot wait until the next full council meeting in March.

He has called on the council to demand an independent inquiry, the reopening of investigations on perpetrators, a review of safeguarding practices, and acknowledgement of failures by local authorities. He also suggested a survivor-led panel be created in order to provide support for victims.

Elon Musk reignited discussion about grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation in the UK following recent interventions on his social media platform X.

Councillor Ahmed said: “This should’ve happened a long time ago. There is a lot of stuff I have been questioning and this has come following Elon Musk highlighting this.

“I don’t want anyone to suffer in silence. I don’t want history to repeat itself.”

He added: “I organised a multi-agency meeting a decade ago on this. We tried to get everyone in the room to talk about and deal with the issue. Yet we’re still not dealing with it.

“If a business man across the pond in Elon Musk can highlight this, why can’t we? We, as elected representatives of Rochdale, have a moral and civic duty to protect the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. It is with deep regret that we acknowledge that this duty has not always been fulfilled. 

“Victims remain unheard, and justice remains incomplete.”
 

Read more: Final report published of child sexual abuse inquiryPublished: 29 November 2022

A spokesperson for Rochdale council explained that this will go through normal process, where the option for an extraordinary meeting will be assessed and considered.

Extraordinary council meetings are called to address urgent matters that cannot be dealt with at an ordinary meeting.

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter