"Not one person has been convicted for covering up the rape gangs. In my view, those who knew, and failed to act, are as guilty as the rapists themselves. We have some idea of the scale of the rape. In certain towns, it was commonplace. In certain communities, it was rife. And yes, they were/are mainly tight-knit Pakistani communities. It is simply not credible to suggest that such industrial rape could occur without other members of said community knowing about it. Thousands and thousands knew, but did nothing. That’s just a fact. Of course this cowardice spreads beyond those groups. Into police forces, social services, the legal system, local politics and more. People, with the authority to act, knew and did nothing. Our inquiry will ask the questions that have been avoided for decades: Who knew what was happening? Who said nothing? Who made the decision to let it carry on? What can be done about it? We will explore, in detail, the policies and legal options available to deal with the complicit. That includes the feasibility of prosecution, the possibility of revoking citizenship, and the grounds for deportation in cases of proven complicity. This isn’t ‘guilt by association’. It is facilitation. It must carry legal consequences."
