Grooming victims accuse Farage of 'degrading' remarks over abuse

Five women have asked for an apology from Nigel Farage after he suggested they were not victims of grooming gangs.

- Geraldine McKelvie

Last week, they wrote to Keir Starmer saying they would remain on a panel advising the government's inquiry into the issue only if the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, stayed in post and "anyone who believes their evidence should be included" could contribute.

But Farage suggested on Monday that the women were victims of other types of child sexual abuse.

A statement from the women said this had left them "feeling like we have to defend ourselves and prove that we are victims again". They described the Reform UK leader's comments as "degrading and humiliating".

The women said: "Nigel Farage should apologise. What he said about us is categorically untrue, saying we shouldn't be on the panel because we are watering it down and we are survivors of other abuse, not grooming gangs. We are survivors of grooming and grooming gangs.

"Farage's lack of knowledge and assumptions about our experiences as victims and survivors of grooming gangs proves he should not have a platform to make decisions about us or our input. His ignorance and untrue statements about us, our experiences and the validity of our involvement, his lack of understanding or care to look into our lives to make sure what he was saying was true, has meant he has dismissed people who this inquiry is for."