'Race is never an excuse not to punish sex offenders': Yvette Cooper speaks out on grooming gangs

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has issued a stark warning about the scale of child sexual abuse in Britain after the recent outcry over the grooming gangs scandal.

Cooper outlined the government's determination to act through strengthening laws and implementing recommendations from independent inquiries.

"There is no excuse for anyone not to take these crimes seriously," Cooper stated.

She stressed that perpetrators must be "punished and pursued" while victims and survivors need protection and support.

WATCH ABOVE FOR THE STATEMENT IN FULL