Call to end secrecy over meeting to discuss town grooming scandal

A PETITION has been set up to stop a meeting to discuss Huddersfield’s sex grooming scandal being held in secret.

The closed meeting with independent expert Dr Mark Peel at Huddersfield Town Hall tomorrow morning is an invitation-only event that excludes members of the public as well as the press.

Instead only council officials, representatives from the police and Kirklees’ 69 councillors have been asked to attend. The petition, set up to make the meeting public, is on the website change. org.

Organiser Jason Wood wrote: “We need to act fast because the meeting could be taking place this week.”

The briefing was announced to councillors via email.

It said Dr Peel, chairman of Leeds Children Safeguarding Partnership, would present interim findings and answer any questions members have.

It added: “The final findings will be made public after Dr Peel has finished his review and held another briefing for members around Easter.”

One councillor, referencing this week’s extraordinary Council meeting which ended in chaotic scenes around the adoption of the controversial Local Plan, said Kirklees Council should be more open in its approach to the grooming scandal.

The councillor commented: “The council really needs to get to grips with things. It needs to be transparent.

“It needs to throw away the cloak of secrecy that it is wrapping around itself.”

The council initiated its review following the imprisonment of 20 men who were found guilty of child sex offences including rape, inciting child prostitution and abduction of a child.

Ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal was convicted of 54 offences against 11 girls. In total the group was sentenced to more than 200 years in prison.

The latest briefing comes three months after councillors were invited to meet Dr Peel to talk about the review into child sexual exploitation in the town. That meeting caused controversy after the council’s Conservative group expressed concern that it was being held behind closed doors.

Tories had called for an independent judge-led review of the scandal and were disappointed by the decision of Council leader Coun Shabir Pandor to call for a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation across England and Wales.

Coun Pandor has since written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid to press for a public inquiry.

Dr Peel’s review, into the grooming and sexual abuse of vulnerable, isolated and underage girls, was commissioned separately by Kirklees Safeguarding Board. But Conservatives claimed Dr Peel’s role brings him too close to the people and partners involved.

The council really needs to get to grips with things.

A Kirklees councillor who wants the authority to be more open about the issue.