UK PM Keir Starmer Defends Record Amid Elon Musk's Accusations on Rape Scandal

In London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended his tenure as the UK's top prosecutor from 2008 to 2013. This comes as the alleged UK Rape scandal, involving child sexual abuse and exploitation, resurfaces. During a news conference, Starmer criticized politicians for dishonesty and opportunism. In response, Elon Musk accused Starmer of ignoring victims' pleas to gain political support, calling him "utterly despicable." Musk further alleged that Starmer was "complicit in the rape of Britain" during his time as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), failing to address grooming gangs.

Starmer countered these claims, asserting that he reformed the system to ensure victims were heard, leading to a record number of child sexual abuse prosecutions. Despite calls for a national inquiry into the gangs, Starmer's government cited existing inquiries and a 2022 report still being implemented. The Rotherham scandal, occurring between 1997 and 2013, saw seven men jailed in 2024 for child sex abuse offenses. The CPS prosecuted them following an investigation by the National Crime Agency under Operation Stovewood, which focused on abuse in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.