From the perspective here in Finland, it seems strange that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has decided to commission an investigation into grooming gangs. This is because the existence of these gangs and their ethnic composition have been known in Finland for a long time already.
For example, I first wrote (in Finnish) about the subject back in 2017, that is, about eight years ago. At the time, I specifically stated that "the worst known case is probably the Rotherham rape ring, which operated in the UK for 16 years and was covered up by the authorities for years out of fear of being labeled racist."
Since then, I have continued to write about the topic. The following year, in 2018, I brought up a prostitution ring that had operated in Telford, England, for decades, "which may have had up to a thousand child victims, mostly from the native population."
In other words, the Asian grooming gangs in the UK—and the related issues with authorities—have been quite well known to us Finns for a long time. And we are also aware that Keir Starmer's administration tried to sweep the matter under the rug by blaming those who aimed to draw official attention to child rapists.
An example of this is my own English-language article, in which I stated: "this is why it is necessary to ask the people of Britain and the world—especially those who see far-right extremism and racism everywhere—why they consider violent protests acceptable in the case of George Floyd, but not in response to the child murders that have shocked the United Kingdom?"
So, if there is no ambiguity here in Finland about the existence or composition of the UK’s grooming gangs, then why on earth is Keir Starmer only now—in the summer of 2025—starting to take action... excuse me, ordering an investigation into the matter? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to ensure that there is no room for such gangs in British society in the future?
