Respond to the consultation on the Grooming Gang Inquiry

Earlier this month, Tim Dieppe commented on how the draft Terms of Reference of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs fails to instruct the Inquiry to consider the role of religion in facilitating or motivating the abuse carried out by these gangs.

The promised consultation on these draft Terms of Reference has now been published.

You can respond yourself on this link:

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/IndependentInquiryintoGroomingGangs-ToRConsultation/

It will take 10-15 minutes to respond to this consultation.

The deadline to respond is 6 March 2026. The terms of reference are set to be finalised by 31 March 2026.

How to respond

Responses to the consultation are anonymous. There are 18 questions in the consultation, but the vast majority of them are background information about your demographic information and any experience you may have had of grooming gangs.

Note that the numbering of these questions may differ depending on how you answered earlier questions about whether you have any experience of grooming gangs.

Question 4 asks whether you have any views on the draft Terms of Reference. We suggest you answer: “Yes.”

Question 5 is the key question where you get to share your views on the draft terms of reference. Here we suggest you make points along these lines in your own words:

• The Terms of Reference should insist that the Inquiry considers the role of religion in enabling, facilitating or motivating the abuse of grooming gangs.
• The draft Terms of Reference only states that it will consider the role of religion or ethnicity in responses to the abuse (Paragraph 4.3) not in the actual abuse itself.
• According to the draft Terms of Reference, the Inquiry is not required to consider the role of religion in motivating or facilitating the abuse itself.
• Christian Concern published a report by internationally respected academic Dr Mark Durie called “UK Grooming Gangs and Islam.” In this report he argues that Islam is more associated with grooming gangs than ethnicity. He points out eight aspects of Islamic law and theology that he proposes played a role in influencing the abuse of grooming gangs. This report can be downloaded here: https://christianconcern.com/news/grooming-gangs-more-associated-with-islam-than-ethnicity/
• The public is very concerned about the religious aspects of the abuse of grooming gangs. The Inquiry should therefore consider this.
• Victims have also spoken out about the religious aspects of the abuse they suffered. The Inquiry should do justice to the victims by properly considering the religious nature of the abuse they suffered.

Question 6 asks whether there are any other services or organisations besides those listed that should be included in the local investigations. We suggest you answer: “Yes”

Question 7 asks you to specify which other services or organisations should be included. We suggest you pick some of the following agencies to include:

• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (England)
• Public Services Ombudsman for Wales,
• Ofsted
• Estyn
• Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs)
• Neighbourhood Watch Network
• Local Neighbourhood Watch Associations
• British Pregnancy Advice Service
• MSI Reproductive Choices.

Question 8 asks whether you agree with the proposed timeline of the inquiry only considering issues arising from 1 January 2000. We suggest you answer “No.” because there is evidence that grooming gang abuse pre-dates 2000.

Question 9 asks which year the Inquiry window should start. We suggest you answer “1980”, since there is evidence of grooming gang abuse from then, and even before.

The remaining questions ask demographic data. You can answer “Prefer not to say” if you so wish.

Thank you for taking the time to input into this consultation. Do pray that the Inquiry will get expose the truth about what has been happening for many years.