The Scottish Conservatives are urging the Labour Government to expand its new inquiry into grooming gangs to include cases north of the border.
Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie has made a direct appeal to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, following her announcement of a national investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, Mr Bowie stressed the importance of giving Scottish victims a voice.
He warned that leaving Scotland out of the probe would create what he called a two-tier system of justice.
He argued that only a UK-wide remit would ensure the true extent of the scandal is exposed and that vital lessons are learned to prevent future harm.
Cases of grooming gangs have already come to light in cities such as Glasgow and Dundee, underscoring the need for Scotland to be part of the inquiry.
The Scottish Conservatives are calling for the investigation to be modelled on the UK Covid Inquiry, where issues affecting Scotland are given full attention within a wider national framework.
Speaking after the announcement, Mr Bowie said the new Labour Government had finally responded to public demand for a comprehensive inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.
Now, he believes, it is crucial to make sure the inquiry is truly national.
He insisted that the remit must be extended to cover Scotland, where well-documented incidents have seen gangs responsible for the rape and sexual abuse of vulnerable young women.
Mr Bowie also called on the Home Secretary to work constructively with the Scottish Government to define the scope of the investigation.
He said it was essential that Scottish victims are heard and that the right lessons are drawn to protect young people in the future.
He pointed to past failures in England, where Labour-run councils have been accused of turning a blind eye to grooming gangs due to political sensitivities.
According to Mr Bowie, there is a need to examine whether similar factors were at play in Scottish cases.
He questioned whether fears over the racial identity of some perpetrators might have contributed to cover-ups north of the border as well.
The call for Scotland’s inclusion comes as the UK grapples with the long and painful legacy of grooming gang scandals that have rocked communities and exposed serious failings by authorities tasked with protecting vulnerable children.
The Labour Government’s inquiry marks a significant moment in addressing those failures, but voices in Scotland are now demanding that victims there are not forgotten.
