Probe chief’s ‘quit threat’
EXPERT RUNNING GROOMING REVIEW SAID HE’LL STEP DOWN IF QUESTIONS OF IMPARTIALITY CONTINUE
THE independent expert running a review into Huddersfield’s sex grooming scandal has threatened to step down if questions over his impartiality continue.
The move by Dr Mark Peel came during an apparently “fractious” private briefing held at Huddersfield Town Hall. The invitation-only meeting on Tuesday was attended by senior staff from Kirklees Council, councillors and police representatives.
Public and press were not given access. But someone who was present claimed that Dr Peel, who is also chair of Leeds Safeguarding Children Partnership, expressed his displeasure at concerns over his impartiality, which have been voiced by members of the council’s Conservative group.
And he said he was prepared to step down if the attacks continued. Speaking after the briefing Conservative Group leader Clr David Hall said: “The Conservative Group has said from the very start that the remit of this investigation is not wide or deep enough. However, now that it is underway we have not tried to hinder it in any way.
“I hope that Dr Peel will be able to report soon and I thank him for his efforts.”
Tuesday’s meeting was the third to be held in-camera. There have been calls for the private briefings to be opened up to the press and public.
But the council has been clear that the final report will be made public when it is completed, which is expected to be in the Spring.
Dr Peel’s independent review was commissioned by Kirklees Safeguarding Board following the conviction of the grooming gang in October last year.
Tories raised concerns that Dr Peel, who was invited to undertake the review, was “too close” to partner organisations and could not “be regarded as impartial.”
In recent weeks the council has been criticised for a perceived lack of transparency and for “stonewalling” councillors who have called for openness. The council acted following the imprisonment of 20 men who were found guilty of child sex offences including rape, inciting child prostitution and abduction of a child. The group was sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.
Among those jailed was ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal, who was convicted of 54 offences against 11 girls.
A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “This was a private meeting to update members on the progress of the independent review into nonrecent cases of CSE in Kirklees and it would not be appropriate for us to comment. Once completed the Independent Review Report will be made fully available to the public and it is anticipated this will happen in Spring 2019.”
Councillors voted in November to ask Home Secretary Sajid Javid to consider a review into the grooming and sexual abuse of vulnerable, isolated and under-age girls.
The Labour-led authority passed a vote calling for an Englandwide investigation “specifically to examine the role of public bodies and statutory agencies charged with protecting childrenand apprehending and convicting criminals.”
Conservatives said not focusing on local issues would dilute scrutiny of what occurred in Kirklees. They have demanded a wholly independent judge-led inquiry, held in public and outside the jurisdiction of the council and its partners.
This was a private meeting to update members on progress of the independent
review.