The leader of Hounslow Council has stood by and sought to clarify his widely criticised remarks concerning allegations of grooming gangs operating within the West London borough, stating his words were taken "out of context".
Council Leader insists on evidence before public disclosure
Councillor Shantanu Rajawat has defended his position, arguing the local authority "can't just assume" such criminal networks exist "because someone has said". He emphasised that the council would await the outcomes of full police investigations before making details public.
This defence follows a revelation by MyLondon in September 2025 that Hounslow Council had failed to disclose a three-year police investigation into a suspected grooming gang. This information only came to light through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, despite the council opposition having directly asked if there were any concerns about such gangs in the area.
At the time, Cllr Rajawat spoke of the need to strike a balance between being "publicly serious" about the issue and "creating panic". In a subsequent interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), he maintained this stance.
Criticism from opposition and concerns for survivors
"Yeah, so I, without being critical, I think my comments were taken out of context," Cllr Rajawat told the LDRS. He elaborated that while allegations are taken seriously within a multi-agency framework, it is the police who lead such inquiries.
"What I'm not saying is that it's rife in our communities. Where it exists, we have the correct processes in place to be able to find them out and address them. But we have to find them," he stated.
His original comments drew sharp criticism from political opponents and on social media, with critics arguing that a fear of causing upset could inadvertently silence victims. When asked if a survivor would feel confident reporting an experience after hearing his remarks, Cllr Rajawat pointed to the importance of robust processes.
He responded that for a potential survivor, knowing a trustworthy process exists where reports are "investigated fully and thoroughly, to resolution" is paramount.
Opposition leader condemns "defensive" approach
Councillor Peter Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group on Hounslow Council, has strongly criticised the Labour council leader's handling of the situation. He described the approach as "defensive" and "borderline dismissive".
"Survivors of grooming gangs are exceptionally brave and should be believed, which is why the comments attributed to the Labour leader are so disappointing," Cllr Thompson said.
He added: "Experience across the country shows that problems arise not because people ask questions, but because they fail to. When credible concerns are raised about grooming or sexual exploitation, council leaders should listen, not dismiss those concerns outright."
Separately, a former key worker for care placements in Hounslow, Warda Mohamed, told MyLondon she had reported concerns between 2015 and 2021 after hearing from 16-year-old girls who alleged they were taken to hotels by gangs. She claimed "nothing was really done" after she followed council procedure.
In response to these allegations, Hounslow Council stated it required specific details—including names, dates of birth, and case reference numbers—to confirm whether any such reports were made.
