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Hello, I'm Sean Curran, and this is yesterday in Parliament from BBC Radio 4.

After months of delays and argument, on the 9th of December, the Home Secretary announced

that a former Children's Commissioner would lead the inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales.

Back in October, ministers were forced to fend off claims that the inquiry into grooming gangs was in crisis.

Some abuse survivors had resigned from a liaison panel, upset at the government's handling of the process,

the scope of the inquiry and the

choice of candidates to lead the investigation. That setback came after months of bitter

political argument. The Prime Minister, Sequeir Starma, had confirmed plans for an inquiry

into child sexual abuse gangs in June, following a report from the Whitehall

troubleshooter Louise Casey. Now, as Lady Casey looked on from the Peers Gallery in the House

of Commons, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that a former children's commissioner,

Anne Longfield, would lead the inquiry and report back in 2029.

The inquiry is focused specifically on child sexual abuse committed by grooming gangs.

It will consider explicitly the background of offenders, including their ethnicity and religion,

and whether the authorities failed to properly investigate what happened out

of a misplaced desire to protect community cohesion. The inquiry will act without fear or favour.

Lady Longfield is a Labour member of the House of Lords, but will step down from the party.

Shabana Mahmood said the inquiry would shine a bright light

on a dark moment of our history. The sickening acts of a minority of evil men, as well as those

in positions of authority who look the other way, must not be allowed to marginalise or demonise

entire communities of law-abiding citizens.

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