by Carys Moseley, Christian Concern
The Westminster Hall debate on collecting data about child sexual offenders revealed deep divisions among MPs, and a continuing reluctance to name the Islamic nature of grooming gangs. Carys Moseley of Christian Concern unpacks what was said, what was avoided, and why the religion data matters.
On Monday 1 June 2026 a debate was held in Westminster Hall on the official data on grooming gangs. Rupert Lowe MP (Restore Britain) had created the petition and given it the title ‘Mandatory collection and publication of certain child sexual offender data’. The nature of the debate tells us a lot about how politicians’ engagement with the issue has changed recently, but also how much there is still to do to effect real change.
Full petition text
Here is the full text of the petition:
“Place a statutory requirement on councils, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and all other related institutions to collect, record and publish the nationality, ethnicity, immigration status and religion of child sexual offenders, including gang based crime.
To protect children and inform public policy, we believe it is essential to collect, record and publish the nationality, ethnicity, immigration status and religion of all child sexual offenders, including gang based crime. This data will allow for better understanding of offender demographics, ensure transparency, and support targeted safeguarding strategies. Without this information, critical patterns may be missed, weakening efforts to prevent abuse and protect vulnerable children.”
This text shows the real focus is grooming gangs, something that isn’t obvious from the title. In hindsight, one wonders whether this discrepancy was deliberate, as it helped provoke MPs to reveal their ideological differences on the matter. As will become evident below, there’s a lot that can be learnt from this.