Official Report 555KB pdf
11:48
Item 4 is the consideration of new petitions.
Before I introduce the first of our new petitions, I begin, as I always do, by noting that the Scottish Government is invited to express a view on new petitions and that we ask the Scottish Parliament information centre—the Scottish Parliament’s independent research service—to bottom out issues that are raised in the petitions that are before us.
As I explained earlier in the meeting, the committee’s current focus is to identify issues that we feel that we can make significant progress on before the end of the parliamentary session. There are only six meetings of the committee left, and the agenda for most of them is already set.
Grooming Gangs (PE2190)
The first of the new petitions is on an important public policy matter that is in the eye of the public at present. PE2190, which was lodged by Mandy McGurk, calls on the Scottish Parliament to commission an independent grooming gang inquiry to identify and understand the prevalence of child grooming in Scotland.
In its response to the petition, the Scottish Government states that it is prepared to give every consideration to an inquiry if it is deemed to be necessary. The response highlights the national child sexual abuse and exploitation strategic group, which brings together key services and expert stakeholders. The submission notes that there is currently no comprehensive national data on the prevalence of child abuse in Scotland. Therefore, the Scottish Government is working to address that.
To review its operations and response to the issue, Police Scotland has taken forward a series of actions such as creating a timeline of action on child sexual exploitation since 2012.
After the Scottish Government issued its initial response to the petition, it announced that an independent national review of responses to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation would take place. The review has begun, and ministers plan to update the Parliament more fully on the review by the end of February. Additionally, the Scottish Government has announced financial investment and support for victims and families who are impacted by sexual offending; access to training for professionals; and improvements to Police Scotland’s forensic capabilities.
Clearly, important issues are raised in the petition.
I wonder whether the committee would consider keeping the petition open and writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to ask whether a February update on the work of a national review group will include a decision on whether to launch an inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.
We could seek to achieve that in the time that remains to us. Depending on the outcome, we might feel that the petition requires a lot of work ahead, so it could be part of the legacy document that we leave to the next committee.
Do colleagues agree to keep the petition open and write to the cabinet secretary on that basis?
Members indicated agreement.
Early Sexual Offences (PE2196)
PE2196, which was lodged by Leanne Kelly on behalf of the root the rot campaign, calls on the Scottish Parliament to act on early sexual offending in young people and to prevent future offending by taking tougher action on gateway offences such as unsolicited sexual images and peer assaults; educating young people at school about consent and online harms; creating a culture of parental accountability; introducing a youth monitoring register for offences committed by young people; and providing real support for victims of all sexual offences.
The Scottish Government’s response to the petition sets out frameworks and approaches that aim to address the issues that are raised in the petition. The frameworks and approaches include the equally safe programme, which focuses on gender-based violence; bairn’s hoose, which provides a child-centred approach to delivering justice care and recovery for children; mentors in violence prevention, which is a peer mentoring programme in secondary schools; and the Parent Club website, which provides online information to parents. The Scottish Government states that it has no intention of introducing a youth monitoring register.
The petitioner has provided two written submissions to the committee. She states that the petition addresses a critical gap in the response to early offending in Scotland, where non-contact offences are minimised, interventions are delayed and parental accountability is inconsistent. The petitioner’s second written submission states that, although the Scottish Government has outlined relevant frameworks, it has not demonstrated that those measures prevent sexual harm in practice. The submission provides a number of illustrative examples for our consideration. The petitioner concludes by stating that, when early sexual offending by adults or children is minimised, escalation is not an accident but a predictable outcome.
Do members have any comments or suggestions for action?
Time is short for the committee, but I would like to keep the petition open. In the light of the petitioner’s on-going concerns, will the committee consider writing to the Scottish Government to ask in what ways it is assessing the effectiveness of the preventive measures that are currently in place and what more can be done to improve them?
I very much endorse that approach, especially as the petitioner has outlined her pretty horrible experience. This is a relatively modern crime that has become a thing over the past few years, and I have increasing concern that, although it might not start off as too serious, it can very rapidly ruin people’s lives and even cause them to take their own lives, as has been the case in some of the circumstances that I have read about. It is a newish and alarming development in the sad history of sexual offences, so I very much want to hear the Scottish Government’s thoughts about how it can be tackled. We might also ask the Lord Advocate to offer advice about such matters.
Do colleagues agree that we should take those actions forward?
Members indicated agreement.
That brings us to the end of our session in public. On Wednesday 21 January, the second meeting of 2026—an additional meeting of the committee, as colleagues will be aware—will take place.
11:54
Meeting continued in private until 11.59.
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