A Church of England bishop has confessed that he did not raise the issue of grooming gangs because of his concern that it might undermine the Church’s efforts to promote racial justice.
In a frank letter to his diocese, Philip North, the bishop of Blackburn, admitted that he now found his excuse for inaction “unconvincing” and added that the Church’s inaction on the issue also stemmed from its disconnection from working class communities.
The bishop said he supported a national public inquiry into the issue, saying it would allow survivors to be heard, and for clear facts and data to be established to “address any false presumptions”.
Bishop North praised Baroness Casey for her landmark report into the issue, before admitting that her “fearlessness” on the issue had prompted much soul searching as to why he had failed to support an inquiry earlier in the year.
“I have heard directly and on many occasions of the anxiety of working class families that their daughters are vulnerable to well organised gangs. Why did I so readily believe the voices that claimed that calling for an inquiry was a collusion with the far right?” he said.
He went on to say that he had "close and precious relationships with members of the south Asian Muslim community in Lancashire, sincere friendships which really matter to me and which are critical as we work together for social cohesion and I feared damaging them".
Yet he noted a “growing distance between a culturally middle-class established church and the needs and concerns of working class communities ... our agenda as a Church is usually set by certain sections of the media, Parliament and the academy”.
Bishop North said he now realised that by failing to address the issue, community relations were diminished due to the perception that one ethnic group could target members of another with impunity.
He added that the Church needs to do more to reconnect to working class communities.
“I am doing some serious reflection about my fear-driven silence when it comes to grooming gangs. I hope other church leaders will do the same," he said.
