School governors in England have been instructed to dismiss concerns about grooming gangs as “disinformation,” according to a report. As part of safeguarding training provided by GovernorHub, a platform used by many schools, governors were presented with scenarios that included references to “men belonging to a particular religion” committing “violent crimes against women.” Participants were told to categorize this as an “online safety risk” linked to pupils spreading “disinformation.” This training has sparked outrage among MPs and parents, who found it shocking that schools might be encouraged to ignore evidence of child exploitation.
A concerned parent and governor criticized the training as potentially enabling further abuse and highlighted the dismissive attitude towards such serious crimes. The scenario raised parallels with previous investigations into grooming gangs, where evidence has often been overlooked for years. Chris Philp, a Conservative MP, condemned the training as propaganda designed to cover up these abuses.
GovernorHub has since removed the controversial scenario, admitting it was inappropriate and unclear. The context of this training comes as the National Crime Agency is reviewing previous cases of group-based child sexual abuse that were previously closed without action. Sarah Champion, another MP, emphasized the profound impact on victims and the failures of the police in addressing these situations.
