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Keir Starmer’s national grooming gang inquiry has suffered a blow after a prominent survivor resigned from its overseeing panel saying she disagreed with a shortlist of two possible chairs.
Fiona Goddard, who was abused by an organised street gang in Bradford while living in a children’s home, stepped down from the victims survivor liaison panel on Monday voicing concern over political interference and the “condescending and controlling language used towards survivors” during the process.
Two prospective candidates to chair the inquiry, the former chief constable Jim Gamble and the chair of the child safeguarding practice review panel, Annie Hudson, are due to meet the panel on Tuesday.
Terms of the statutory investigation are still being discussed by the panel of stakeholders including survivors of abuse rings, four months after the prime minister bowed to pressure and set it up.
In an email sent on Monday morning, Goddard wrote that she was removing herself from the liaison panel.
“The most concerning development of this inquiry has been the identities of the two perspective chairs. One has a background in policing and the other, a social worker,” she wrote.
“The very two services that contributed most to the cover-up of the national mass rape and trafficking of children. This is a disturbing conflict of interest, and I fear the lack of trust in services from years of failings and corruption will have a negative impact in survivor engagement with this inquiry.”
Gamble and Hudson have been approached for comment.
The Guardian disclosed last week that the inquiry had stalled over whether to include cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse committed by those other than street-based grooming gangs, sources said.
There have also been rows over suggestions to expand the inquiry to include other types of sexual abuse such as child sexual exploitation and abuse and widen the remit to examine sexual abuse across whole regions, it is understood.
Goddard questioned the political affiliations of some members of the committee.
“I have serious concerns around certain members of the panel … that presents a potential conflict of interest and incentives, pushing in opposition to the honest representations of survivors’ voices.”
She also questioned why some members of the panel want to expand the inquiry’s scope.
“Expanding the scope of this inquiry risks it being watered down and once again, failing to get to the truth. We have repeatedly faced suggestions from officials to expand this inquiry, and there is real fear from survivors, including myself, that it will turn into another IICSA (independent inquiry into child sexual abuse), with grooming gang victims forgotten,” she said.
Goddard, who was one of two girls abused by a gang of men mainly of Pakistani origin in 2008, has waived her legal right to lifelong anonymity. In 2019, nine men were found guilty of offences including rape and inciting child prostitution after a trial lasting more than six weeks.
In her email, she also criticised the way survivors were being treated and informed about developments by officials and ministers.
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“I’m further concerned by the condescending and controlling language used towards survivors throughout this process who have had to fight every day just to be believed, and I think they deserve more respect than they have received,” she said.
Both potential candidates have had careers tackling child abuse, and Gamble has challenged police and other institutions over child protection failures.
He began his career as a police officer in Northern Ireland, rising to become head of RUC special branch in Belfast, but is best known for his work combating child abuse.
In 2006, he headed up the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.
Hudson was appointed as chair of the child safeguarding practice review panel in December 2020. Before that, she was director of children’s services at the London Borough of Lambeth, having held the same role at Bristol city council.
Senior legal figures have turned down informal approaches about chairing the new inquiry.
Grooming gangs remain a “toxic issue” because chairs will have to explore why men of Pakistani origin have dominated many of the abuse rings, a source said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The abuse of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable. Any suggestion that this inquiry is being watered down is completely wrong – we are committed to delivering a robust, thorough inquiry that will get to the truth and provide the answers that survivors have so long campaigned for.
“We are working urgently to appoint the best chair to take forward this work and deliver justice, putting victims and survivors at the heart of the process.
“We are grateful to all those who have shared their insights with us. We share the concerns around unhelpful speculation while this process is live - which is why we will not be providing a running commentary.”
