Councillor Calls for Urgent Meeting on Rochdale Grooming Gangs Issue
Coun Farooq Ahmed insists on an emergency meeting to tackle child exploitation concerns in Rochdale
Rochdale, UK, Grooming Gangs, Child Exploitation, Coun Farooq Ahmed
Rochdale: There’s a big push for an emergency meeting to talk about child sexual exploitation in the area. Councillor Farooq Ahmed is leading the charge, saying this issue is too urgent to wait until the next council meeting in March.
He’s calling for an independent inquiry and wants to reopen investigations into the perpetrators. Plus, he thinks it’s time to review how local authorities handle safeguarding. Ahmed also suggested creating a panel made up of survivors to help support victims.
Interestingly, Elon Musk has been stirring the pot on social media about grooming gangs and child exploitation in the UK, which has brought more attention to the issue.
Ahmed expressed his frustration, saying, “This should’ve happened a long time ago.” He’s been questioning the handling of these issues for a while now, especially after Musk highlighted them.
He added, “I don’t want anyone to suffer in silence. I don’t want history to repeat itself.” It’s clear he feels strongly about this.
He recalled organizing a multi-agency meeting a decade ago to tackle the problem, but it seems like not much has changed since then. “If a businessman like Elon Musk can bring this up, why can’t we?” he asked.
Ahmed emphasized that it’s the council’s duty to protect vulnerable children, admitting that they haven’t always done a great job of it. “Victims remain unheard, and justice remains incomplete,” he lamented.
A spokesperson for Rochdale council mentioned that they’ll follow the usual process to see if an extraordinary meeting can be arranged. These meetings are meant for urgent matters that can’t wait for the regular sessions.