Saying what UK won't. It's Pakistani, not Asian, gang-rape gangs at work

"True," wrote Tesla chief Elon Musk, lending his support to a post by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. In her post, she asserted, "Repeat after me: They aren't ASIAN grooming gangs but PAKISTANI grooming gangs. Why should Asians take the fall for one rogue nation?" Musk's endorsement of replacing 'Asian' with 'Pakistani' has brought focus on the long whitewash of heinous crimes committed by men of Pakistani origin in the UK.

The controversy over 'grooming gangs' has resurfaced amid calls for a nationwide enquiry into these crimes and how authorities have handled such cases. Elon Musk has accused UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer of complicity in the scandal.

The perpetrators of the long-standing, troubling scandal that has been taking place in the UK since the 90s, involving systematic exploitation and brutal sexual abuse of thousands of young white girls, often minors, have been casually and ignorantly labelled as 'Asian grooming gangs'. Despite the gravity of these crimes and the clear involvement of men of Pakistani descent, the UK government and British media have often tiptoed around the issue.

The euphemistic term "Asian grooming gangs" in use, has not only diluted the specificity but also unfairly stigmatises the broader Asian community, including Indians, in the UK.

Although reports in the media and some city councils in the UK have noted the involvement of Pakistani men, the term 'Asian grooming gangs' continues to be used, it is factually incorrect and unfairly implicates an entire continent.

The Indian Hindu and Sikh communities in the UK have expressed strong resentment over the use of the term 'Asian grooming gangs'. They are particularly angered by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's stance, including his use of the term and his call for a vote against a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.

THE EXTENT OF PAKISTANI GROOMING GANGS OF THE UK

The scale of the abuse is staggering. While the exact number of victims of these gangs is not known, some reports indicate that thousands to lakhs of white girls in the UK have been systematically exploited by these gangs, with the majority of the perpetrators being men of Pakistani origin.

British political activist Tommy Robinson in 2018 claimed that some "2.5 lakh British children were gang-raped by predominantly Pakistani men across every major city of the UK, this century alone".

Robinson is a far-right activist being held in solitary confinement, and Musk has batted for him to be freed. Silenced, a documentary by Robinson on the grooming gangs, was banned in the UK. It is, however, up on X and has 153 million views as of January 9, 2025.

Several probes and reports provide a glimpse into the extent of the grooming gangs in the UK.

In cities such as Rotherham, Telford, and Oldham, these gangs have been operating for decades, targeting vulnerable white girls, often those from poor backgrounds or in care homes.

The victims were lured with gifts, food, and drugs before being subjected to rape, torture, and trafficking of the worst kind. These crimes were not isolated incidents but part of a large-scale operation that has left deep scars on the lives of thousands of young women and their families in the UK.

UK GROOMING GANGS: LENS ON INSTITUTIONAL FAILURE

It is not just UK PM Keir Starmer's choice of terminology that is under scrutiny. The issue extends to institutional failures and a reluctance to thoroughly investigate these crimes, which has enabled suspects to "hide behind cultural sensitivities" to evade justice.

The failure of British law enforcement institutions to address this issue is as alarming as the crimes themselves.

There had been concerns among the police, social services teams, local councils, charities, and politicians that pursuing groups of non-white offenders could lead to accusations of racism, according to a BBC report. They maintained "community relations" while protecting vulnerable young girls.

In Rotherham, for instance, local police and councillors were notified about systematic grooming and sex abuse as early as 2001, yet the first conviction did not occur until 2010. Similar patterns of inaction were observed in other affected towns too.

WHY THE NOMENCLATURE 'ASIAN GROOMING GANGS' MUST GO

The use of the term "Asian grooming gangs" is misleading and harmful.

It stigmatises the entire Asian community, which includes people from diverse backgrounds such as India, China, and other countries. This terminology obscured the specific ethnic and cultural links of the perpetrators, which could have been crucial for understanding and addressing the issue effectively.

In reality, the majority of the perpetrators have been identified as men of Pakistani roots. This was even noted by former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who had been brave enough to acknowledge the involvement of Pakistani men in driving the grooming gangs.

In interviews with the Mail on Sunday and the BBC, she stated that the perpetrators were "overwhelmingly" British-Pakistani males.

Former UK PM Rishi Sunak in 2023 said that the victims of grooming gangs were ignored because of political correctness.

In her 2014 independent review of the Rotherham case, Alexis Jay concluded that most of the "known perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage," including five men convicted in 2010.

"By far, the majority of perpetrators were described as 'Asian' by victims, yet throughout the entire period, councillors did not engage directly with the Pakistani-heritage community to discuss how best they could jointly address the issue," Alexis Jay said in the report.

Similarly, Greater Manchester Police identified the individuals convicted in the Rochdale abuse scandal in February 2012 as British-Pakistani men.

An independent inquiry into the Telford abuse case described the offenders as being of "South Asian heritage".

A 2024 independent review by the Greater Manchester Mayor revealed widespread grooming and exploitation of young girls in Rochdale. The review also said that the authorities failed to adequately investigate these cases between 2004 and 2013. Of the nine perpetrators convicted, eight were identified as British-Pakistani men, said the review.

The findings of these independent reports have strongly substantiated that the term 'Asian' is inappropriate and that 'Pakistani' should be used instead. Consequently, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's use of the phrase "Asian grooming gangs" has faced severe backlash, with figures like Elon Musk advocating for the accuracy of the terminology.

The continued use of the term "Asian grooming gangs", particularly by UK PM Starmer, not only misrepresents the issue but also unfairly implicates diverse Asian communities while shielding the real perpetrators and their identities. Acknowledging accurate terminology is crucial not just to ensure accountability, but also to address institutional failures and delivering justice.