Victims of ‘grooming gangs’ have been badly let down, but children must be protected on social media as well as in the real world

Two seemingly contradictory things are true. It was appalling for the UK’s domestic policy agenda to be hijacked last week by Elon Musk’s blaze of interest in child sexual exploitation gangs. And government action in response to the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse was long overdue. As ministers look in more detail at plans announced in a panic, it is essential that the many anxieties surrounding group-based child sexual exploitation – euphemistically known as “grooming gangs” because of the techniques used to ensnare vulnerable girls – do not distract from the seriousness of the issue.

On Friday, Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, added his voice to those calling for a new inquiry into child sexual exploitation – a specific form of abuse carried out in exchange for money or other things that victims want or need; and often involving financial advantage for perpetrators, who traffic children under their control. A large majority of such offences (83% in 2023) are committed by white men, although some areas have a problem with gangs of mainly Pakistani-heritage abusers. It is true that the inquiry’s broad remit did not include a thorough investigation of child sexual exploitation specifically. There are many gaps in the data, as multiple reviews have noted.

Susanna Rustin is a Guardian social affairs journalist