Fourth survivor quits grooming gang inquiry panel amid crisis for Government

She said she was stunned to learn that the two prospective chairs were a former police officer and social worker, Jim Gamble and Annie Hudson.

“When I found out the two potential chairs were a former police officer and a former social worker, I was shocked and I didn’t know how they could be involved.

“They were both part of a profession that failed all of us.”

The survivor was one of several members of the panel blocked from attending the meeting with the prospective chairs.

In the end, Annie Hudson withdrew ahead of the interviews citing media pressure.

Jessica, who has secured convictions against several of her perpetrators, was speaking publicly in the media for the first time tonight.

She said that the probe “does not need to be an overall investigation” amid wider concerns expressed by survivors that they feared the inquiry could be expanded to other elements beyond grooming gangs.

GB News revealed that survivors were asked before a panel meeting if they wanted the inquiry to be specific to grooming gangs or cover wider issues in child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Jessica, who received the email, said: “This needs to be specifically based on grooming gangs.

“We’ve never had a proper investigation into just grooming gangs.”

Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has insisted that the terms of reference would be focussed on grooming gangs.

She said it was "misinformation" to claim otherwise and told the Home Affairs Select Committee that these reports were "untrue", despite survivors being asked about a broader scope.

Jessica added: “I feel like they’re scared of being criticised and called racist and they don’t want to upset communities.

“There needs to be some accountability for what these people did to us.”

She continued: “This meant to be a targeted investigation, point blank, not an overall investigation.

“I think we’re being failed way too many times, we’ve suffered too much, the amount of times we have to wait for justice only to find out that the same problems are coming up. It’s massively frustrating.”

“If they’d just done their jobs in the first place we wouldn’t be here.”

The survivor said: “I did a video interview at 12 years old that was used in a court case 20 years later. The authorities had all the evidence for ages, they just ignored us. We can’t let that kind of thing happen again.”

The Home Office said in a statement yesterday: "The abuse of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable.

"Any suggestion that this inquiry is being watered down is completely wrong - we are committed to delivering a robust, thorough inquiry that will get to the truth and provide the answers that survivors have so long campaigned for.

"We are working urgently to appoint the best Chair to take forward this work and deliver justice, putting victims and survivors at the heart of the process.

"We are grateful to all those who have shared their insights with us. We share the concerns around unhelpful speculation while this process is live - which is why we will not be providing a running commentary."