Elon Musk’s intervention into British politics has revived the debate about how the government responds to child sexual abuse, particularly by “grooming gangs”. While this is an important discussion, as a researcher of child sexual abuse I am concerned that Musk’s comments have done more to spread misconceptions and harm victims than to protect children.
I was a researcher at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). My colleagues and I received and analysed the experiences of more than 6,000 survivors of child sexual abuse. Here is what I wish Musk understood before intervening.
The national narrative around grooming gangs has focused on high-profile cases in Rochdale, Rotherham and other towns, where groups of men, mainly from Pakistani backgrounds, were convicted of sexually abusing and raping over a thousand girls between 1997 and 2013, some as young as 11.
