Tory leader Kemi Badenoch calls for national inquiry into UK’s ‘rape gangs scandal’

KEMI Badenoch yesterday called for a national inquiry into the UK’s “rape gangs scandal”.

The Tory leader said it was time someone in authority “joined the dots” after trials across Britain.

It came as tycoon Elon Musk accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing to tackle the issue as head of the Crown Prosecution Service.

He said Home Office minister Jess Phillips “deserves to be in prison” for denying Oldham Council’s plea for an inquiry.

The Tories also refused the authority in 2022.

Oldham now plans to launch its own probe — as Rochdale, Rotherham and Telford have previously done.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage hit back at Ms Badenoch, saying: “Talk is cheap.

"The Conservatives had 14 years in government to launch an inquiry.

"The establishment has failed the victims of grooming gangs on every level.”

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse described the menace as an “epidemic” in its final report in 2022 into organised groups convicted by courts between 2010 and 2014.

Labour said the Government is strengthening the law so child abuse crimes are properly reported and investigated.