UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hit back today (Monday) against accusations related to the sexual abuse of children by Pakistani-origin men, stating that his critics are spreading 'lies and disinformation' which he believes undermine British democracy.

In a firm statement, Starmer argued that these attacks were driven by personal interests rather than genuine concern for the victims.

His comments came in response to repeated criticism from billionaire Elon Musk, who has been attacking the Labour leader over the ongoing scandal.

The scandal, which has rocked the UK, is often referred to as the 'Grooming Gangs' or more directly 'Rape Gangs,' and centers around allegations that organized groups of men, predominantly of Pakistani origin, systematically preyed upon and raped hundreds of young girls in the past.

The issue first came to light in 2011 when The Times reported on a systemic sexual exploitation ring in Rotherham, North England.

At that time, the Times revealed that the local council had known about the rapes for at least 10 years but had failed to act to prevent them.

An independent inquiry later revealed that between 1997 and 2013, around 1,400 girls were subjected to sexual abuse by predominantly British Pakistani men.

The inquiry report outlined numerous cases of sexual abuse, including gang rape of girls as young as 11, child prostitution, and forcing girls to watch sexual acts.

The perpetrators instilled fear in their victims by threatening to rape their mothers and sisters.

In some cases, they doused the girls with fuel and threatened to burn them.

The report pointed fingers at local authorities, showing that in some instances, officials believed these were 'consensual' sexual relationships or feared revealing the ethnic origins of the perpetrators in order to avoid harming the 'community relations' or accusations of racism.

Further investigations uncovered similar patterns of abuse in cities like Rochdale, Cornwall, Derbyshire, and Bristol.

In Telford, reports indicated that 1,000 girls were abused over a 40-year period, with authorities again reluctant to act for fear of being accused of racism.

Although the scandal is not new, it has resurfaced in the headlines following a report last week that Jess Phillips, the Deputy Secretary of State for Women and Children’s Protection, had rejected the Oldham City Council's request for an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of children by predominantly Pakistani-origin men.

Phillips had decided that the investigation should be conducted by local authorities rather than the government, a decision that sparked outrage from the opposition, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch calling for a national inquiry into the matter.

Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has also joined the criticism, using his platform on X (formerly Twitter) to launch a series of relentless attacks on Starmer.

Musk, who has expressed support for far-right figures across Europe, has targeted the UK Prime Minister for allegedly covering up the abuse, as Starmer served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.

'Starmer must go and face justice for his role in the largest mass crime in UK history,' Musk tweeted, calling not only for his removal but also for the imprisonment of Starmer and Phillips.

During a press conference today, Starmer refused to respond directly to Musk’s comments but did state: 'Those who spread lies and disinformation are far removed from the victims' interests.

They seek to promote their own agenda.' He added, 'I welcome the political push and the heated debate we must have, but it must be based on facts and truth, not lies.

Once we lose our anchor in truth, then we are on a slippery slope.'

Starmer defended his record as Director of Public Prosecutions, claiming that he changed 'the entire approach' to handling child sexual abuse cases after noticing how the system was failing and 'not listening' to victims.

He pointed out that he appointed a special prosecutor for such cases and implemented reforms to make the court process easier for victims.

He stated that he was the first to prosecute a 'grooming gang' in Rochdale, and that under his leadership, the number of child sexual abuse cases that led to charges reached a peak.

Starmer accused the opposition Conservatives of 'jumping on the bandwagon' and spreading claims originating from the far right, after failing to act during their 14 years in power, which ended last year with the Labour Party’s landslide victory in elections.

He dismissed calls for a government-run national inquiry, arguing that an independent inquiry, which he called 'comprehensive,' had already been conducted in 2022.

He added that it was time to 'turn over every stone' to end child sexual abuse, and emphasized that now was the time to act, not to form another inquiry.

Musk quickly responded to Starmer’s counterattack by publishing more tweets, accusing him, without evidence, of being 'deeply involved in mass rape in exchange for votes.' In another tweet, Musk claimed that Starmer was refusing to establish an inquiry because it would show how he ignored the pleas of countless young girls and their parents to ensure political support.

Musk also conducted a poll on X, asking followers, 'Should America free the British people from their tyrannical government?'

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also responded to Starmer's comments, urging him to take a step back and reflect, rather than attacking his critics and labeling them 'far-right.' She pledged to continue her efforts to push for a national inquiry, stating, 'I meant it when I said that this time the victims will get justice.'