Badenoch says grooming gang criminals should not be eligible for early release

Dave Clark, Press Association

Kemi Badenoch has urged the Government to amend the Sentencing Bill to prevent the early release of anyone involved in grooming gangs.

Writing in The Express, Mrs Badenoch said that sentences for grooming gang perpetrators were, “in too many cases… far too short” and that early releases risked “a terrible experience for victims”.

Mrs Badenoch’s intervention comes after shadow equalities minister Mims Davies said Home Office resignations raised “serious concerns” about the Government delivering justice for rape gang victims.

Ms Davies said one year on from Baroness Louise Casey’s review into group-based sexual exploitation, ministers were still being “too slow” and, in some areas, “simply superficial”.

The shadow minister called on the Government to “step up” and protect women and girls during an urgent question to the Commons, raising concerns about recent resignations.

Labour MP Jess Phillips quit as safeguarding minister earlier this year, accusing the Government of failing to be “bold” and any real action by Sir Keir Starmer to tackle violence against women and girls came “in light of catastrophic mistakes”.

Mrs Badenoch told Sir Keir Starmer that it was not too late to act.

On potential early releases, she said: “Not only is this a terrible experience for victims, but dangerous individuals will be on the streets again.

“It is not too late for the government to change course, but I urge the Prime Minister to change his Bill to ensure all rapists, paedophiles and child groomers are prevented from getting earlier release.”

On Thursday, Crime and Policing minister Sarah Jones admitted that Baroness Casey has been right to push the Government to go faster but insisted they are “pushing to get all of this work done as quickly as possible”.

Baroness Casey led an investigation into Rotherham Council after a separate report found more than 1,400 children were sexually exploited by gangs of mainly Asian males in the South Yorkshire town between 1997 and 2013, with her report published in June last year.

Ms Davies told the Commons on Thursday: “Deep concerns remain that progress on justice has been too slow and that, in some areas, is simply superficial.

“This Government talks a good game, but recent ministerial Home Office resignations have raised serious questions about what it is delivering in practice.”

She said one of the victims, Fiona Goddard, has also raised concerns about one of the men who abused her being released from prison early.

“This is Labour’s choices and we warn them,” Ms Davies said, “Therefore, what action is being taken to rebuild the confidence of the victims in this process?

“Does the minister deeply regret opposing measures to prevent early release in such heartbreaking and horrific cases?”

Responding, Ms Jones said: “Of course, Louise Casey is right to push us to go faster. Of course, she is.

“She always will, and that is why we asked her to do the job, because she demands the best from us.

“She also has praised the progress of the Government in establishing the inquiry and the work that has been done to date.”

Ms Jones added: “We are pushing to get all of this work done as quickly as possible. She was very clear, the inquiry should be a relatively speedy one.

“The inquiry will be concluded by 2029, it has £65 million pounds of funding, and we will get to the answers.”