It’s time we had a sensible conversation about this because it’s become short-hand for dog whistle racism alongside Lee Rigby and other whataboutery. Let’s start with the facts @Demilynne7. Hands up who knows the proportional ethnic make up of child sex offenders in the UK? https://twitter.com/demilynne7/status/1273692343544295431

Because I do know this because I took the time to look it up @Demilynne7 because I wanted to hear if what people were saying was true or false. Let’s start with the facts.

Full Fact Check helpfully breaks down some statistics on the ethnicity of child sex offenders @Demilynne7. Source here: https://fullfact.org/crime/what-do-we-know-about-ethnicity-people-involved-sexual-offences-against-children/

Of the 6200 men prosecuted for sexual offences against children in 2015/2016 of those where ethnicity was recorded 67% were white and 4% Asian, whilst 3% were black @Demilynne7.

In 2011, 85% of offenders found guilty of sexual activity with a minor were white. I think we could see these as fairly overwhelming majorities, @Demilynne7. But what about grooming gangs?

Studies on those involved in grooming children do suggest that a disproportionate number of offenders are categorised as being of Asian ethnicity. The proportion of offenders or suspected offenders varies from study to study, but was anywhere from 27% to 75% - @Demilynne7.

75% you might say incredulously and you’d be right. There is a disproportionate involvement here and a small but cultural problem that needs addressing. ‘Small’ is considered in light of the overall statistics of 4% of child sex offenders being Asian @Demilynne7

All things considered whilst grooming gangs are of course dangerous, damaging and in need of tough justice, they make up a very small percentage of child sex offences. They are however the ones that people love to bang on about.

Rather than say 85% of paedophiles in the UK being white, @Demilynne7. I wonder why that is