Minutes

Councillor Fouweather asked:

In light of reports of rape and torture gangs operating in towns and cities across Britain, will the Council commission its own internal inquiry to establish if such gangs have ever operated in Newport?

Councillor Lacey responded:

Any specific cases of rape or torture, whether instigated by gangs or otherwise, are serious criminal offences which would require investigation by the police. 

The Council regards such offences as abhorrent and would always cooperate fully with any investigation in order to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.  The Council takes this issue extremely seriously and has a number of strategies to address reports of child abuse and sexual violence. 

The recent comments of the Home Secretary, in which she announced a "rapid audit" looking at the "current scale and nature of gang-based exploitation across the country", are also noted and we await further details about this proposal from the UK Government. 

The Council will ensure that any requests for information in order to support this process are addressed expeditiously.