By 2008, stories of Asian paedophile gangs grooming mostly white children in British cities were already rife in local media, but political correctness in a society that was following New Labour's multicultural dogma, led by Tony Blair's religious zeal, meant that the national media seemed to be holding back: self-censoring or being censored.
In 2004, a Channel Four documentary about the problem in Bradford was delayed because of a local community protest (asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/radio/427) and threats of legal action, as it reported how local parents were battling to prevent their children being groomed by predominantly Asian gangs.
So you would have thought a drama about a young girl from a negatively portrayed white family moving to Bradford would have included some kind of reference to the paedophile problem. But it didn't.
White Girl on the BBC in New Labour Britain
Abi Morgan's White Girl for the BBC White season in March 2008 showed a totally positive image of Islam, as it provided a sanctuary from the seedy, violent and dysfunctional white community. There were no paedophiles to groom her, and the drama would probably have sent any impressionable young girls into their hands.
The drama, which was supposed to be part of a season providing a voice for the white working class community, showed a white British family splitting up because of an abusive husband (Stevie).
Of course there are such families within the white working class community, but there were also many stories of a paedophile problem within the Asian community in Bradford.
But when the mother (Debbie) moved to Bradford with her daughter (Leah) there were no Asians trying to groom her. Instead, the Muslim community was shown as the salvation, in direct contrast to the white working class community, which was supposed to be having its voice.
Asian Paedophile Gangs Targeting White Children in Britain in 2010
Fast forward two years to the present, and in November 2010 a big case was made public that mirrored what happened in Bradford earlier in the decade. The BBC (BBC Derby, 25th November, 2010) reported that a gang of Asians (it did contain one white member, who was an already convicted paedophile), who were respectable family men in their communities, targeted impressionable and vulnerable children. Nearly all the victims were white (twenty-two out of twenty-seven).
While the British government had been silent about it, the children's charity, Barnado's, had advertised on television warning about the system used, without mentioning religion or ethnicity.
Further Reading
Andrew Anthony reviewed the BBC White series in the Guardian.
Marc Latham - Doctor of Philosophy and experienced freelance writer searching for truth and meaning, and reporting it in clear and concise copy.
Join the Conversation