Grooming Gangs Inquiry- A Toxic Environment?
The Government’s Victims and Survivors Liaison Panel was established in July 2025 by Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips to ensure that people directly affected by grooming-gang abuse could help shape the forthcoming national inquiry.
The panel was designed to give survivors a formal role in advising on the inquiry’s terms of reference, engaging with affected communities, and providing input on the appointment of a chairperson.
However, just three months after its creation, the process has been rocked by controversy following the resignation of a third contributing survivor.
The panel member, known as ‘Elizabeth’, announced she was stepping down from the liaison panel, joining Fiona Goddard and Ellie Reynolds, who previously resigned. In her resignation letter, ‘Elizabeth’ described the process as feeling like ‘a cover-up’ and said it had ‘created a toxic environment for survivors.’ She added that the inquiry appeared ‘scripted and predetermined’ rather than arising from ‘honest, open dialogue with survivors.’
She additionally wrote:
‘This sense of control and stage-management has left many of us questioning whether our voices truly matter, or whether we are being used to legitimise decisions that have already been made.’
Concerns About Leadership and Direction
Survivors have expressed concern that the inquiry may lose credibility before it has even begun. Four months on from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement of the statutory inquiry covering England and Wales, a chairperson has still not been appointed. Frustration about the time taken to confirm leadership has led some to fear that the delay in commencing the process may be an attempt to manage what is ultimately revealed.
Former senior social worker Annie Hudson, who had been considered for the role of chair, has withdrawn from the process. Although another candidate, former deputy chief constable Jim Gamble, recently met with survivors to discuss their views, some survivors have said that they feel individuals with backgrounds in policing or social work should not lead the inquiry. Their rationale being that those professions were among the institutions that failed to protect victims.
Fiona Goddard, who was abused while living in a children’s home in Bradford, described these services as having:
‘contributed most to the cover-up of the national mass rape and trafficking of children.’
Withdrawing from the process, Ellie Reynolds, who was abused by a gang in Barrow, said her ‘final turning point’ came when the inquiry appeared to widen its scope in ways that:
‘downplay the racial and religious motivations behind our abuse.’
‘Elizabeth’ also stated she had observed:
‘selective narratives being promoted – ones that appear to serve particular agendas, especially around issues of race and the narrative of widening the scope.’
In response, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has denied any suggestion of a ‘cover-up’, insisting the government remains:
‘committed to exposing the failures that allowed these appalling crimes to occur.’
She said the inquiry would be ‘laser-focused’ on grooming gangs and would not be diluted. In Parliament, Phillips stated she regretted the departure of the panel members but added that ‘not all victims are of the same opinion’ and that her ‘door remains open’ to those who have resigned. She also clarified that the liaison panel is not managed directly by government office but is supported by an independent charity working with victims and survivors.
The Home Office has reaffirmed that the scope of the inquiry ‘will remain focused on grooming gangs,’ explaining that survivor engagement is essential to shaping the final terms of reference rather than expanding them.
Opposition politicians have accused the government of mishandling the process, warning that the resignations have undermined public confidence. Some have called for the inquiry to be led by a senior judge to guarantee impartiality and restore trust among survivors.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said the inquiry will leave ‘no hiding place’ for those responsible for group-based child sexual exploitation, describing the perpetrators as ‘evil child rapists.’ She promised that the government ‘will never allow this process to be watered down.’
There can be no doubt, the resignations mark a significant challenge for ministers, who must now demonstrate that the inquiry will truly be both survivor-led and independent. Survivors continue to call for transparency, legal expertise, and impartial leadership to ensure their experiences are central to the inquiry’s work.
As ‘Elizabeth’ wrote in her resignation letter:
‘The inquiry risks becoming exactly what so many of us feared — a performance of accountability, not the reality of it.’
Background and Timeline
- June 2025 – Inquiry Announced
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales. The decision followed findings from Baroness Louise Casey, whose independent review identified widespread institutional failings in recognising, recording, and addressing group-based child sexual exploitation.
- July 2025 – Liaison Panel Formed
- The Victims and Survivors Liaison Panel was set up by the Home Office to give survivors a formal voice in developing the inquiry’s structure and terms of reference. Members were selected to represent a range of survivor experiences across regions.
- August–September 2025 – Chair Recruitment Begins
- HM Government began the search for an independent chair. Two candidates, a former police chief and a senior social worker, were shortlisted but met resistance from survivors who argued these backgrounds represented institutions that had previously failed victims.
- October 2025 – Resignations and Public Dispute
- Three survivors, Fiona Goddard, Ellie Reynolds, and Elizabeth, resigned from the liaison panel, alleging that the process had become ‘toxic,’ ‘controlling,’ and ‘pre-determined.’ They accused officials of attempting to widen the inquiry’s scope and downplay racial and institutional factors.
- Government Response
- Ministers have denied any attempt to dilute the inquiry, insisting it remains ‘laser-focused’ on grooming gangs. The Home Office has promised that survivor voices will continue to shape the inquiry and that a new chairperson will be appointed shortly.
SSS Learning
3 November 2025