Grooming gang survivors must not be silenced or manipulated, says campaigner Maggie Oliver

GROOMING gangs whistleblower and campaigner Maggie Oliver has slammed the government’s attempt to set up an inquiry and claimed that some survivors have been “manipulated and exploited”.

She told Martin Daubney on GB News: “All the waters are muddied, and unfortunately, successive governments have wanted to keep it that way. They want to keep it hidden, but I don’t think this time they are going to get away with it.

“I am not a party-political person at all, I will talk to anybody. But four months ago, I did work with Baroness Casey, and I thought her audit was really fantastic. From the day that was published, we have a legal team that has been advocating for 25 survivors.

“None of those have been approached through my charity, the Maggie Oliver Foundation. We are trying to join their voices together so that they are not isolated, they’re not silenced. They are able to contribute their voices. They have not been contacted.

“The lawyers have been saying that we as a foundation and they as victims want to be part of putting together the terms of reference. We’ve had no response to that four months on.

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“With the greatest respect and not wishing to blow my own trumpet in any way, I’ve been in this field for 20 years, I shouldn’t be speaking on behalf of survivors. My job is to ensure that every survivor and victim of grooming gangs has their voice included in this, that they’re not cherry picked by Jess Phillips sending private WhatsApp messages behind the scenes.

“I want this out in the open. I want it in a public arena. I want it to be transparent, to be honest, not more dirty tricks campaigns where they’re trying to, once again, bury the voices of those who have had their childhoods destroyed and the abusers who have virtually walked away scot free. And that’s why I’m saying what I’m saying.”

She added: “What’s happened since Baroness Casey’s report is that every single part of this has been in secret, behind closed doors. Survivors who have said they would be part of this panel have been told they can’t speak to anybody else. I believe that they’ve been offered money.

“I don’t know how they’ve been selected. I even don’t know how many are on this panel. It’s all muddy waters, and when things are done secretly like that, straight away I am concerned, because what I have seen for decades is everything behind closed doors, and I know from my own experience that many of those things behind closed doors have been corrupt. They’ve covered up the truth.

“What I want this time is for it to be out in the open, let people make their own minds, let’s have a system that really cares for these children. And it’s actually not just about the police. It’s about the CPS, it’s about social services. It’s about politicians of every political persuasion

“I speak the truth as I believe it to be. I am not a party-political person, but I will call out bad when I see it, wherever it comes from, and I’ll try my absolute best to ensure that the truth this time is heard and change absolutely comes.

“Otherwise we will have more generations of children being failed in the same way, and in 20 years, my charity will be helping to pick up the pieces of children’s lives who are being abused today. And that’s why I do what I do, and that’s why my charity is here to make sure that they have a voice.

“I’m not speaking on behalf of them, I want them to all have a voice and be heard. Not politicians speaking on behalf of them, not people who are trying to silence them, and actually not other victims and survivors who are themselves actually being manipulated and exploited.”

Asked if there might be a breakthrough on investigating the issue, she said: “I know my subject, and I know hundreds, if not thousands of victims who have come to me and my charity for help. I do my best to put pressure on – I’ve spoken to Conservatives, Priti Patel. I’ve met Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman…the Labour government.

“I was in a room for two hours with Jess Phillips. She never even said hello to me. I am used to being the enemy or the fly in the ointment, the enemy in the room, and I actually don’t care anymore.

“I speak the truth as I see it. So anybody who will get a grip of this honestly and truthfully, forget about party politics. This is not a political football.”