UK School Leaders Warned Against Allegations of Disinformation in Grooming Gang Scandal

Reports indicate that school leaders across the UK have been told it is “disinformation” to suggest that “men belonging to a particular religion” are tied to the ongoing scandal involving Pakistani Muslim child rape and grooming gangs.

During safeguarding training sessions organized by Governors Hub—used by many schools in England—leaders encountered a scenario about a student allegedly spreading “disinformation,” which posed an “online safety risk.”

This training material was leaked to a newspaper, where a concerned parent governor described a situation where staff members reported hearing students discuss a video. The video erroneously claimed that men from a specified religion were exploiting new methods to commit violent acts against women in their community.

The narrative continued, explaining that the students believed the video to be true and shared it with friends out of concern for the safety of their classmates.

Governors were then asked about the types of online safety risks involved in this incident, offering answers like misinformation, disinformation, or conspiracy theories.

This guidance comes despite the left-leaning Labour government acknowledging earlier this year that there was “clear evidence” of many male suspects of Asian and Pakistani descent involved, along with claims that some organizations have avoided discussing the topic to prevent accusations of racism or exacerbating community tensions.

Pressure has mounted on the government, led by Keir Starmer, to investigate the sexual exploitation of primarily young, white, working-class girls. Starmer had previously criticized those calling for an inquiry, labeling them as participants in “far-right rhetoric” and spreading “misinformation.”

In fact, some parents who released the training materials expressed concern that it could lead schools to ignore or downplay actual claims of sexual abuse, which they believe is often overlooked by influential figures in the UK. One parent mentioned that thousands of young girls had been victimized by “men belonging to a particular religion,” asserting that authorities failed to respond adequately to the victims’ experiences.

Concerns were raised about the implications of such training, with one official calling it “disgusting.” They argued that the reprimand given to the governor only perpetuates these abuses and reflects a troubling attitude toward such serious crimes.

Chris Philip, the Conservative shadow home secretary, added that the training’s dismissal of the facts as “disinformation” was reminiscent of how the rape gang scandal has been downplayed in the first place. He characterized the session as disgraceful propaganda aimed at masking these serious offenses.

A spokesperson from Governors Hub later acknowledged that citing grooming gangs in an online safety context was “inappropriate,” noting that the question had been retracted and that all 5,000 governors who received the training were informed of the amendments.

Nonetheless, the Labour government remains focused on educating children about the risks of “misinformation.” Recently, they announced plans for a comprehensive update to the national educational curriculum, which will tackle issues related to identifying fake news and misinformation, set to be introduced in 2028. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that preparing young people to navigate today’s challenges is increasingly critical.