Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has weighed in on a growing political and public outcry after Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips MP, made explosive remarks in Parliament regarding the role of police officers in grooming gang scandals.
In a post on X, Musk reacted to a video clip circulating on the platform in which Phillips stated that she had “met girls who talked to me about how police were part of the perpetration, not just the cover-up” of grooming gang abuse.
In response, Musk asked on X, “According to a Philips, some members of the police in the UK participated in the gang rapes of children. Have they been prosecuted?”
The remarks came after a parliamentary debate concerning the transfer of child sexual exploitation investigations from South Yorkshire Police to the National Crime Agency (NCA), amid long-standing accusations of mishandling and cover-ups.
In the debate, Phillips welcomed the decision to strip South Yorkshire Police of the responsibility for investigating abuse within their jurisdiction.
In the House of Commons, Julian Smith KCB CBE MP pressed the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips MP, on the scope of the national inquiry into grooming gangs and allegations of rape and assault involving South Yorkshire Police.
In his question, Julian welcomed the decision to transfer investigative responsibility to the National Crime Agency (NCA), but urged the Minister to confirm that the inquiry would examine not only institutional cover-ups but also direct involvement of police officers in the alleged crimes.
“There were horrendous reports about the rapes and assaults that had taken place by South Yorkshire police. I welcome the decision to involve the NCA and strip away responsibility for those investigations from the force. But would she confirm that the National Inquiry will look at the role of the police not only in cover-ups but in the crimes themselves,” said Julian Smith.
The Minister responded stating that South Yorkshire Police should never have been left to investigate themselves and confirmed that the inquiry will follow the evidence wherever victims lead it — including allegations of police perpetration.
Responding to this, Philips said, “Absolutely, the South Yorkshire police should never have been left to investigate themselves in this matter. Yes, moving it over to the NCA is absolutely the right thing to do. But, I would be lying if I said that over the years I have not met girls who talked to me about how police were part of the perpetration and not just the cover-up.”
This follows Julian’s letter to the Home Secretary, calling for an independent investigation and expressing grave concern over the handling of these allegations.
These remarks were swiftly picked up on social media, where a user accused Phillips of admitting she had prior knowledge of criminal wrongdoing by police officers in grooming gangs—without acting upon it.
The user further alleged hypocrisy, claiming that Phillips had previously opposed a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Earlier, Philips said that people who “disgraced” public office by failing to tackle grooming gangs should be sent to prison.
The Safeguarding Minister told MPs she hopes social workers and officials who failed to act “face the full force of everything they deserve”.
She revealed that nearly 1,300 cases which were dropped are curently being re-examined by police – with 216 rape allegations being treated as “highest priority”.
Phillips vowed a public inquiry into the scandal will leave “no stone unturned” and vowed to put victims at the heart of the process.
Setting the Record Straight
The context of Phillips’ comments reveals that she was advocating for an independent national inquiry to examine both the cover-ups and potential involvement of law enforcement officers in the abuse itself. She was responding to a question in Parliament about whether such a probe would include scrutiny of police conduct.
The South Yorkshire force has faced years of criticism following revelations about systemic failures to investigate grooming gangs, notably in Rotherham, where a 2014 report found that over 1,400 children had been abused while authorities looked the other way.
Phillips’ comments do not constitute a formal accusation against named officers, nor do they confirm active cases. Rather, she highlighted testimony she had received from survivors over the years—further underlining the need for an inquiry independent of any police body.
Calls for Transparency
Musk’s intervention, however, has intensified calls for transparency and action. With a massive global following, his post has amplified concerns over institutional accountability and justice for victims.
As of now, the government has not confirmed whether any police officers allegedly involved in abuse have been prosecuted, nor whether the upcoming inquiry will fully investigate these allegations.
Public Pressure Mounts
Victim advocacy groups have long called for a comprehensive, national investigation into not just grooming gangs, but the broader institutional failings—including potential collusion or corruption within police forces.
If Musk’s post achieves anything, it may be to accelerate those demands—and bring international attention to a scandal the UK has struggled to fully reckon with.
Earlier, Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips told BBC’s Newsnight that “disinformation” spread by Elon Musk was “endangering” her but that it was “nothing” compared to the experiences of victims of abuse.
The tech billionaire and adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump labelled Phillips a “rape genocide apologist” and said she should be jailed.
Asked if the threat to her own safety had gone up since his social media posts and whether protections were in place, Phillips replied “yes”.
She said the experience had been “very, very, very tiring” but that she was “resigned to the lot in life that you get as a woman who fights violence against women and girls”.
Key Background
- Rotherham Scandal (2014): A report found that between 1997 and 2013, at least 1,400 children were subjected to sexual exploitation in Rotherham, with systemic failures by South Yorkshire Police and local authorities.
- NCA Involvement: In light of ongoing distrust, major cases have been transferred to the National Crime Agency for independent investigation.
- National Inquiry Demands: Campaigners continue to call for a full public inquiry into grooming gangs, including the role of public institutions and law enforcement.
The Rape Gang Inquiry in Britain earlier revealed a damning picture of systemic abuse, with Pakistani Muslim rape gangs identified as operating in 85 local authorities across the United Kingdom.
The inquiry, launched by MP Rupert Lowe, received testimony from hundreds of survivors, families, and whistleblowers, making it one of the most comprehensive exposes of the grooming gang crisis to date.
Cases were identified from Aberdeen to Plymouth, Antrim to Canterbury, with some instances dating back to the 1960s. The report underscores chilling “patterns of targeted exploitation by predominantly Pakistani males, combined with gross negligence from public bodies.”
Lowe, who spearheaded the investigation, said, “Our inquiry has shown that this rotting scandal is more widespread than thought – hundreds of thousands of lives have been ruined at the hands of predominantly Pakistani rape gangs. The message from survivors is clear: too many broken promises, now is the time for hard justice.”
The report highlights a systematic pattern of exploitation, not isolated incidents. Survivors described being lured with gifts, alcohol, and cigarettes before being passed between abusers. Many were beaten, threatened, or told their families would be harmed if they spoke out.
The National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation revealed that over 500,000 children a year may be experiencing sexual abuse in the UK, with 17,000 flagged as child sexual exploitation cases.
However, only 700 grooming cases were logged in a new police database — a figure described by investigators as a gross underestimation of the true scale.
In Rotherham, 64 per cent of offenders convicted under Operation Stovewood were Pakistani men. Despite these numbers, public bodies consistently downplayed the scale and identity of offenders. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who once wrote that “Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls,” was forced to resign after backlash. Similarly, Labour politician Keith Vaz dismissed the grooming gang crimes as “not racially motivated.”
Such denial created a culture where the victims were ignored and the perpetrators shielded, leaving the scandal to grow unchecked for decades.
The revelations of the Rape Gang Inquiry are not just about the monstrous crimes of Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs but also about the colossal failure of the British state. For over four decades, young girls were sacrificed at the altar of political correctness. Fear of being accused of racism outweighed the responsibility to protect children, allowing predators to thrive.
This scandal is a national shame, one that requires more than inquiries and reports. Survivors demand justice, accountability, and systemic reform. Without genuine action, Britain risks repeating the same mistakes, leaving another generation of girls vulnerable to the very predators the system has enabled for far too long.