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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is throwing his weight behind growing calls for a new investigation into the scandal of child abuse by grooming gangs, going so far as to back calls for King Charles III to intervene.
“National inquiry now!” Musk stated on X on Friday, declaring the scandal “the worst mass crime against the people of Britain ever.”
The U.K. has for years been dealing with the revelation that a number of grooming gangs, often consisting of men of South Asian or British Pakistani heritage, exploited children for decades across the north of England in cities and towns including Rochdale, Telford, Manchester and Rotherham.
“We all recognize that terrible mistakes were made in the past, with children ignored or dismissed,” they said.
That response was slammed by Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch, who called for a full national inquiry into what she called the “rape gangs scandal.”
“The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal,” she said on X. “Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots.”
“2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice,” she said.

King Charles III departs after receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate at The London Clinic on Jan. 29, 2024 in London. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Musk, who has been tapped by President-elect Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, also backed calls for King Charles III to intervene-noting that current Prime Minister Keir Starmer was head of the Crown Prosecution Service at the time of the scandals, although the scandals generally involved local authorities.
“Yes,” Musk said in response to a post saying the King “must step in.”Â
He continued, “They oppose an inquiry, because it will show that those in power were complicit in the cover-up,” he said of the government.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting responded to Musk’s comments, telling ITV News that the government takes child abuse “incredibly seriously” and repeating that an inquiry in Oldham should be led locally.
“Some of the criticisms that Elon Musk has made, I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed, but we’re willing to work with Elon Musk, who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries to tackle this serious issue,” he said. “So if he wants to work with us and roll his sleeves up, we’d welcome that.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the British government’s Home Office for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.