Rachael Hamilton

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVES

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ESS than a month ago, SNP and Green MSPs chose to vote down a Conservative amendment that would have allowed for an inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland. It beggars belief that they should have banded together to block a proposal that had support from every other party and wide public backing.

And we've had an appalling reminder this week of just how essential an inquiry is.

On Monday, a Romanian gang that had been convicted of preying on women and young girls in Dundee was sentenced to a total of 68 years in prison. Yet their victims at least 10 of them are far from alone.

We know that these despicable gangs operated, and still operate, elsewhere in Scotland.

In 2016, Operation Cerrar looked into the case of a gang of more than 50 alleged perpetrators in Glasgow which had more than 40 victims. Just last month, the Care Inspectorate produced a report which found that criminal and sexual exploitation of children is going on right now in Glasgow.

The horrific abuse by such gangs is one of the worst scandals in decades.