Zero tolerance: the politics of child sexual exploitation by gangs

Politicians, officials and the police must show an absolute commitment to the rule of law, including equal application, plus the courage staunchly to defend victims and the innocent.

Some issues in public life should be very easy: safeguarding children as an absolute priority is one of them. Avoiding heaping shame on the innocent is another. The longstanding principles of justice in our country ought to make both ideas apparent.

And yet, as the Telegraph sets out, in some parts of our country those charged with sacred duties failed in them, scandalously and over many years. It is an utter disgrace and people are right to be angry.

Plainly, steps must now be taken at the national level to ensure this never happens again. There should be a national public inquiry: investigations cannot now be left to local authorities. Through it all, even in that righteous anger, there will be no justice in condemning innocent people by association because of their identity.

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Given demands for a public inquiry into systematic child sexual exploitation to which a blind eye was turned over quite wrong and cowardly sensitivities about race relations, I revisited what happened in Wycombe in 2012 when a group of Asian men were arrested, charged and tried for similar alleged offences. Over one fifth of the population in Wycombe is Asian, overwhelmingly hailing from Pakistan.

The outcome of the case may be found here and my response to events at the time may be found here: seven men were found not guilty and the jury failed to reach a verdict on three men.

I am satisfied that in Wycombe and Thames Valley, the law was applied equally to all without fear or favour. The pursuit of justice for and the protection of victims was paramount in everyone’s minds. Appropriate steps were taken to manage tensions in our community.

The rest of this article sets out what ought and ought not to be done in the handling of such circumstances: zero tolerance is the right approach.