Hounding of MP who spoke out against Asian sex gangs
AN MP who received death threats after condemning the scandal of Pakistani men grooming and raping young white girls in Rotherham has been given increased security amid concerns for her safety.
Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for the South Yorkshire town, has campaigned to raise awareness of hundreds of sexually exploited children and criticised the Left for not doing enough for fear of being branded racist.
The Rotherham abuse scandal hit the headlines in 2014 when it was revealed that over 16 years at least 1,400 local girls had been victims of sexual exploitation by organised groups of men. An inquiry found most of the victims were white, mostly aged 11 to 15, and their abusers were ‘almost all’ of Pakistani heritage.
In August, Miss Champion wrote about the issue in The Sun, stating: ‘Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls. There. I said it. Does that make me a racist? Or am I just prepared to call out this horrifying problem for what it is?’
She added: ‘For too long we have ignored the race of these abusers and, worse, tried to cover it up. No more. These people are predators and the common denominator is their ethnic heritage.’
But the comments led to death threats and the MP being accused of ‘industrial-scale racism’ by Just Yorkshire, a regional ‘human rights’ campaign group funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust – a liberal Quaker group increasingly linked to extreme causes.
Now an attempt is being made by hard-Left and Muslim opponents to try to force Miss Cham- pion from office, according to The Times. Scotland Yard confirmed last night that death threats against Miss Champion had been investigated, but refused to discuss security plans.
The 49-year- old MP has represented the South Yorkshire town since 2012. After last year’s article caused an outcry among her Labour colleagues she quit her role as shadow women and equalities secretary.
Then, in March, Just Yorkshire published a report, which was based on an online survey of 165 people, about the impact of the MP’s remarks.
It concluded her comments made the community ‘feel a sense of injustice, hurt, anger and shock’. An ‘overwhelming’ number ‘considered the comments to be racist’, it stated. This report is said to have led to further death threats against the MP, and counterterrorism police advised her to accept extra protection. Yesterday an aide to Miss Champion said: ‘Sarah is not going to be speaking on this matter.’
Just Yorkshire yesterday described The Times report highlighting the targeting of Miss Champion as a ‘disturbing’ article based on ‘wild conspiracies, inaccuracies, old news and meritless speculation’.
Miss Champion was backed by Labour MP John Mann, who said: ‘Momentum activists calling for her to go because of her stance are beyond contempt.’