Holly Alex, who says she was groomed and sexually abused as a teenager in care, has urged the Scottish government to move faster on its promised public inquiry into grooming gangs. She said survivors had been waiting for decades in some cases and called on ministers to deliver on their pledge to act “at pace.”
Alex entered care at 14 after her stepfather was imprisoned and her relationship with her mother broke down. Records reviewed by BBC Scotland News show that staff noted concerns she was being groomed by adult men and that social workers and police were aware of risks. Between the ages of 14 and 17, she lived in five children’s homes in Edinburgh.
Alex said around 25 to 50 men were involved in her abuse at flats in Edinburgh and Livingston. She described how what first seemed like friendship and generosity became exploitation, with men demanding something in return for money, alcohol, cigarettes and food. She said attempts to leave were met with violence.
The Scottish government ordered a public inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation in February, following political pressure. Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said the statutory inquiry, to be chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, was central to efforts to establish the scale of abuse and prevent it. Its terms of reference must be formally agreed before it can hear evidence. Ministers are expected to update Holyrood on Thursday.
Alex also said the phrase “grooming gang” had been weaponised and could lead some survivors to fear they would be excluded from the inquiry because their abusers did not fit a particular ethnic profile. She said the term referred to two or more perpetrators, regardless of ethnicity or race.
A national review published in September found there was no reliable national picture of the scale of grooming gang offending in Scotland, citing inconsistent data collection and the lack of an agreed definition. Alex has also been invited to participate in the government’s Truth Project pilot, which is running alongside the inquiry.
Police Scotland confirmed it had been made aware of some reports Alex made during her time in care and said an investigation was ongoing. The force said it remained committed to tackling child sexual exploitation and supporting survivors.
Alex’s evidence helped secure the conviction of her former carer, Gordon Collins, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2016 for indecent behaviour towards her and three other young people in his care. City of Edinburgh Council apologised to Alex and said testimonies from survivors had contributed to changes in its services, including the closure of secure residential accommodation across the city.
Sources: BBC News UK.