Commenting on the news that five individuals in North Wales have been found guilty of being part of a grooming gang, Darren Millar MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said:
"I welcome today's guilty verdicts and pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of the young victims who came forward to give evidence. Those responsible for these appalling crimes must now receive the punishment they deserve.
“This case provides yet further evidence that organised child sexual exploitation and grooming gang activity has been taking place in Wales.
“I have been warning for more than 18 months that we need action to protect vulnerable children from such heinous activity, yet some sought to dismiss my concerns.
“Today's verdicts in relation to Rhyl cannot be treated as an isolated case. We have also seen major police investigations into alleged organised child sexual exploitation in other parts of Wales and brave victims like Emily Vaughn have spoken about their experiences.
“Victims deserve to know that every lesson will be learned and that no institution or public body will be beyond scrutiny.
“That is why I am again calling for a Wales-wide public inquiry into grooming gangs to establish the full scale of this problem. Victims deserve nothing less.”
