The Senedd has voted against a grooming gangs inquiry specific to Wales.
A petition on the Senedd‘s website has so far gained more than 1,400 supporters.
But the Welsh Conservatives – the largest opposition party in the Welsh parliament – pushed for a debate and vote on Wednesday.
The motion calling for an inquiry was defeated by 34 votes to 13.
The vote was not binding, however, and would not have forced the Welsh government to hold an inquiry.
Last month, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced £5m to fund local grooming gangs inquiries.
The issue, which has been subject to a UK inquiry, was recently highlighted when X owner Elon Musk posted about it on the social media platform on New Year’s Eve.
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In his first post on the subject, he wrote: “The government officials responsible, including those in the judiciary, need to [be] fired in shame over this.”
Ms Cooper said the UK government was “taking action” on the recommendations of national inquiries and to “uncover the truth where things have gone wrong”.
‘Didn’t know what had happened’
Emily Vaughn, not her real name, has launched a petition calling for an inquiry into grooming gangs, specifically for Wales, after she was groomed from the age of 11.
Ms Vaughn published her memoirs in 2021, detailing how a “vicious cycle” of abuse began after she was groomed into becoming a “county lines” drug trafficker.
She told Sky News there was “a lot in Wales that hasn’t come out”.
“There hasn’t been any pinpointing of grooming gangs, and just almost as if it doesn’t happen here,” she added.
Ms Vaughn said it was “hard” to open up about her own experience when writing her book.
“I didn’t know what had happened to me as a child,” she said.
“I didn’t understand I was running on PTSD because of everything that’s happened.
“But I’m so glad I did [write the book] because it’s brought people who’ve messaged me privately, even people in Wales who’ve said the same thing happened to them.”
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‘Listening to victims’
Opening the debate on behalf of the Welsh Conservatives, Altaf Hussain said “one victim of child sexual abuse is one too many”.
“We cannot simply assert that because we have not had a Rotherham or a Rochdale-style scandal that grooming gangs are not operating on this side of Offa’s Dyke,” he said.
Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams said: “Given the absolutely horrific nature of these crimes against some of our most vulnerable young people, it’s understandable that people are outraged.”
“We must absolutely not make this a political issue and we must ensure that the best way of achieving action and accountability is taken for the sake of victims and survivors,” she added.
Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds, who worked as a social worker before entering politics, said it was important the response was “child-centred”.
“It’s so important that our language and our behaviour here is respectful to them, and I know that is the case,” Ms Dodds added.
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Responding to the debate, social justice secretary Jane Hutt said the Welsh government was determined to “take action”.
“Our focus will always be listening to victims and survivors of abuse and on behalf of the Welsh government I say again that we will do everything we can as a government to ensure young people in Wales are safe from the horrific crimes of exploitation and sexual abuse,” she added.
