Government should be ‘ashamed’ over grooming gangs inquiries confusion

The father of a grooming gang victim has told Sky News the government should be “ashamed” of itself over the confusion surrounding inquiries – accusing it of “messing around with survivors’ lives”.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips this week sparked fresh uncertainty over whether regional inquiries into grooming gangs – promised by the government in January – would go ahead.

Following two days of confusion, the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, insisted on Thursday that five local inquiries will take place – and hinted more could follow.

But her comments have done little to reassure Marlon West, whose daughter Scarlett was a victim of sexual exploitation in Manchester.

Ms Phillips’s statement in parliament on Tuesday – which sparked criticism after it failed to mention the reviews – left survivors “so disappointed”, he said.

The uncertainty “makes you dizzy because you get hope and think ‘I’m getting somewhere now’ then they do a U-turn as they’ve done twice this week”, Mr West continued.

“I think they should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. “The government now are messing around with survivors’ lives and campaigners like me.”

Throughout her ordeal, Scarlett has “been let down by the local authority, by social workers, by the…