Rotherham Sex Abuse Scandal: Allegations of Cover Up Resurface Decade Later

Elon Musk has joined calls for a fresh inquiry into widespread child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom, a decade after it first came to light that thousands of children had been victims of a network of what are now being termed “rape gangs” in one of the most sweeping sex abuse scandals in British history.

Musk’s flurry of posts on his social media site came alongside questions from Conservative Party MPs over a lack of an investigation, despite the Conservatives being in power for 14 years until last May, and multiple investigations into the abuse after it first came to light.

Newsweek reached out to the UK Cabinet Office for comment via email Friday.

Why It Matters

Musk’s multiple posts about the issue of “rape gangs”, as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called them, comes at a similar time to other comments around supporting far-right Reform UK and Alternative for Germany (AfD) parties.

Badenoch, other Tory Members of Parliament, and members of the right-leaning Reform UK party have been reacting to news that MP Jess Phillips, from the ruling Labour Party, rejected calls for a new public inquiry into the abuse, which took place between 1997 and 2013 in Rotherham and other downtrodden industrial towns across the UK.

“There has been enough evidence for over a decade in towns such as Rotherham to bring action and I don’t feel enough action has been taken,” Sammy Woodhouse, a victim of abuse in Rotherham, told Newsweek. “Victims and survivors deserve to be heard.”

What to Know

Girls as young as 11 were sexually abused and raped by networks of men, mainly of Pakistani heritage, across England for at least a decade. In 2013 it was revealed that multiple agencies and police departments had known about some of the abuse, but did not intervene.

In Rotherham alone, around 1,400 girls were abused. A further 1,000 were victimized in Telford, while hundreds of perpetrators were identified across the country.

There were two wide-reaching inquiries into the crimes, with the last report published in 2022 – the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) – while local authorities also published their own findings.

What Is the Rotherham Scandal?

Over several years, victims were beaten, threatened and humiliated, while perpetrators befriended parents to screen them from the systemic abuse. Most of the victims were white and from working class families.

Once the first victims and families came forward, the local authorities meant to protect them and investigate the crimes often reacted by telling children they were lying. Officials also covered up the extent of the issue to avoid further scrutiny, or because they were too afraid to seem racist by investigating those of Pakistani origin.

There were also wider failings in England’s criminal justice system which meant prosecutions were few and far between, while some schools and the Roman Catholic Church were also highlighted as centers of sexual abuse.

Rotherham is often referred to as the main location for the abuse, but the true scope of the abuse was more widespread, taking place across multiple towns and cities, including Oldham, Oxford, Rochdale and Telford.

Calls for a further government-led inquiry were then rejected in October 2024, but the move only came to light Wednesday in a report from GB News. Oldham Council had voted on asking the UK government for a full inquiry in July 2024. After Phillip’s decision, work got underway on carrying out a local inquiry instead, the council told Newsweek, with efforts ongoing to get victims and agencies on board.

“The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal,” Badenoch posted on X in reaction to the news Thursday. “Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots. 2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice.”

Badenoch, who took over the party’s leadership in November, got a mixed reaction. While some of her fellow party members backed the calls along with Musk, others said the Conservatives had been in power for over a decade and could have instigated an inquiry if the party had wanted to.

On Friday, Musk called for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to resign, as he was leading public prosecutions at the Crown Prosecution Office at the time the scandal came to light.

“Starmer was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN when he was head of Crown Prosecution for 6 years,” Musk posted to X. “Starmer must go and he must face charges for his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain.”

Professor Alexis Jay, who led the 2022 inquiry, said in November that she was frustrated that the report’s 20 recommendations on tackling abuse had not been implemented yet. Some of these were focused on getting more support for victims, while also making it clearer what counts as abuse.

Under the previous Conservative government, a task force was set up to tackle grooming gangs, with over 550 suspects arrested and over 4,000 victims identified in the year to May 2024, showing that the issue had not disappeared.

What People Are Saying

Sammy Woodhouse, a victim of the abuse in Rotherham, told Newsweek: “I think an independent inquiry should be done into all towns and cities to prove what has happened in regard to exploitation. Rapists and professionals that have failed must be held to account and named.”

Councilor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, said in a statement to Newsweek: “There is nothing more important for securing justice for the victims of these horrific crimes and no stone will be left unturned to hold perpetrators to account. Victims and survivors will be at the heart of how we move forward, and their voices will be heard.

“We’re working closely with survivors and survivors’ families to ensure they don’t just have a voice, but will have a central role in developing this inquiry. We expect terms of reference to be agreed in the coming months.”

Ruper Lowe, Reform UK party MP for Great Yarmouth, on X: “I have asked the Home Office for a full immigration status breakdown of those involved in the rape gang scandal. Where did they come from? Why were they in our country? How many have been found guilty, yet remain in the UK? The cover up ends now.”

Former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal, on X: “On ‘grooming gangs’ Starmer changed the guidance so police were now required to investigate the suspect & not focus entirely on the credibility of the victim. He told the police to introduce the word ‘believe’ into their interaction with victims – you believe them, then investigate.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, speaking to reporters Friday: “Some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed. But we’re willing to work with Elon Musk who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries tackle these serious issues. If he wants to work with us and roll his sleeves up, we’d welcome that.”

What Happens Next

UK government ministers appear to be trying to steer the conversation back to what is being done to implement recommendations from the 2022 report, while also seeking to combat potential misinformation from Musk on the issue.

Victims and campaigners like Woodhouse say they welcome the progress, while Starmer is yet to comment.