A woman claiming to be a victim of an alleged Pakistani grooming gang has urged Scotland’s first minister to launch a national inquiry.
Taylor, which is not her real name, has written to John Swinney with claims of how she was preyed on by at least 10 men when she was 13 years old and in care.
Mr Swinney said the government was “open” to launching an inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland.
The woman, who is now in her 20s, says she and her friends were sexually abused and exploited after being plied with alcohol and drugs.
The alleged gang was said to have operated from flats in the Govanhill area of Glasgow and Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire.
In her letter, Taylor says it is “clear” such abuse is still ongoing in Scotland as she called for a rapid audit into grooming gangs across the country.
She added: “A full inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland must follow any audit in order to protect children suffering now, and any potential victims in the future.”
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Taylor’s plea comes following several high-profile cases, including the “beastie house” paedophile ring in Glasgow and the recently sentenced Romanian grooming gang in Dundee.
A national inquiry into grooming gangs will take place in England and Wales but one has not been set up in Scotland.
The Scottish Conservatives attempted to add an amendment to the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill in September which would have seen an inquiry, but it was rejected.
Taylor’s plight was highlighted during First Minister’s Questions by Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay.
Mr Swinney acknowledged receipt of the letter and shared his “admiration for her courage to speak out on such an important and very difficult subject”.
The first minister added: “I am deeply saddened to hear of any cases of sexual abuse.”
Mr Swinney said the Scottish government is taking action through the work of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.
He added: “The government has remained open to the question of a grooming gangs inquiry, but there is a series of steps being taken to explore these issues at the present moment.”
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Mr Findlay raised concerns from Taylor that Police Scotland allegedly failed to investigate her complaints.
She said she contacted the first minister and the force directly after finding “upsetting information” within her care records.
Taylor said she had initially believed the care home, police and social services “knew nothing” about the alleged abuse she suffered, but her records “say different”.
She said she had chosen to “make sure my voice is heard” after receiving “dismissive replies” from Mr Swinney and Police Scotland.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A complaint about the police was received in September 2025.
“The complainer was spoken to and we confirmed information had been passed to us, but since no report was made to police in reference to any crime, this complaint did not fit the criteria as a complaint about the police.
“The complainer was advised she should make a report to police if she had been a victim of a crime. The complainer confirmed she was happy to have the complaint closed with this advice.”
Highlighting the force’s response to Taylor’s complaint, Mr Swinney reiterated that his government remains open to the question of a grooming gangs inquiry.
He added: “But what I am satisfied about is that the police will address these issues and that our judicial system will address them too, and we will reflect on whether there is any further scrutiny that is required in the light of those investigations.”
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In a statement after, Mr Findlay said the first minister “must not bury his head in the sand”.
The MSP for West Scotland added: “Taylor and other victims say there must be a grooming gangs inquiry in Scotland to uncover the scale of the abuse, why it was allowed to go unchecked and to ensure that it cannot continue.
“Victims do not trust that what happened to them will be fully investigated by organisations they believe turned a blind eye or even engaged in covering up what happened.
“The authorities’ actions should be independently examined to establish what exactly has happened.”
