White men not Pakistanis involved in majority rape cases: UK debunks Elon Musk's false claim

The UK's National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) debunked the false claims made by Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, regarding British Pakistanis forming the majority of those involved in child sexual abuse cases. The NPCC clarified that the majority of individuals involved in such activities were, in fact, white.

According to data from the first three quarters of 2024, the ethnicity of those accused revealed that most grooming gangs are run by white men. In 2023, 83% of those accused of involvement in grooming gangs were white.

Richard Fewkes, Director of the NPCC's Hydrant program, which oversees child sexual abuse cases, stated that there is no “significant issue” related to any particular ethnicity or setting in these crimes.

The UK authorities responded to Musk’s false allegations targeting Muslims and British Pakistani gangs, as well as criticisms aimed at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for failing to address the issue of grooming gangs.

Musk used derogatory language against Starmer, blaming him for the "rape of Britain," and called Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips a “witch” and a “rape genocide apologist.”

The controversy surrounding grooming gangs in the UK traces back to a 2014 report which revealed that white girls as young as 11 were exploited in the town of Rotherham. These girls were trafficked and sexually assaulted by numerous men. This crime spree continued from 1997 to 2013, with most of the perpetrators identified as British Pakistanis.

Starmer, who was leading the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013, faced criticism following the emergence of the grooming gangs scandal, which involved British Pakistanis trafficking and assaulting white girls.

The Oldham Inquiry, which investigated the scandal, criticszed the role of both the police and local councils. The scandal resurfaced recently after reports suggested that the government may have interfered with investigations into these crimes.

During a press conference on Friday, Fewkes stated, “(The data) reflects what you would expect to see across the country in terms of ethnicity. Offenses involving grooming gangs are predominantly white. There is no significant issue with any particular ethnicity or setting.”

He emphasized that the focus on the ethnicity of the accused had diverted attention from more critical aspects of child sexual abuse, which often involves family members.

Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs, the NPCC’s lead for child protection and abuse investigations, added that “all threats from all races and ethnicities” must be investigated. She also stressed that the ongoing debate about ethnicity was obscuring the suffering of the abuse victims.

The controversy over the ethnicity of the accused involved in child grooming offenses gained traction online, prompting UK authorities to release data in response to debates in the House of Commons about whether a national statutory inquiry should be conducted.

Reports indicate that grooming gangs are involved in two child abuse cases every day. In 2023, among the 115,489 child sexual abuse and exploitation crimes, including online incidents, 4,228 cases of “group-based” abuse were uncovered.

Gabrielle Shaw, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, stated, “Someone’s trauma should not be used to score political points, or as clickbait.”