A group of victims of gender-based violence has criticized Elon Musk for comments attacking Jess Phillips, saying the Protection Minister had “dedicated her life to fighting for women and girls”.
In a letter shared with the Guardian, the seven women, including three survivors of the Telford sex abuse scandal, defended the Labor MP and said there was “no one in public life who has more to support victims and survivors and to advocate for their cause.” for their interests.
Their intervention came after Musk, the billionaire Tesla boss who is vying for a senior role in Donald Trump’s administration, posted on his X platform that Phillips should be jailed and called her an “apologist of the genocide of rape.
His comments came after Phillips rejected a call for a government-led public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham. In October, Phillips instructed Oldham council to carry out its own investigation, similar to those set up in Rochdale and Telford.
Three of the signatories to the letter – Holly Archer, Joanne Phillips and Scarlett Jones – are survivors of the Telford grooming scandal. All three use pseudonyms. The four other signatories – Julie Devey, Carole Gould, Emma Ambler and Nour Norris – have lost a loved one to gender-based violence or have been victims of domestic violence.
In their response to Musk, coordinated by campaign group Killed Women, the women said those who “weaponize our pain for their own ends or political gains” should “hang their heads in shame.”
Musk, who is the richest person in the world, has used his social media platform X to share false and unsubstantiated claims about Keir Starmer and his government since Labor came to power.
“We write to you as victims of extreme male violence,” the letter said. “What connects us all beyond our shared trauma is the support and kindness we have received from Jess Phillips over many years, personally and as activists fighting for change.
“We know that some would like to use our suffering as a weapon for their own or political ends; who are speaking out with renewed interest, not to address the horrific crimes that have stolen so much from us, but to advance their own agenda. They should hang their heads in shame.
“As activists and advocates, we fight every day to prevent what happened to us or our loved ones from happening to others. We stand with Jess, knowing that she dedicated her life to fighting for women and girls.
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Rather than holding a new government inquiry, ministers said the focus should be on implementing existing recommendations to tackle child exploitation, including those proposed by Professor Alexis Jay in 2022.
On Monday, Jay called for the full implementation of the changes she outlined in her report, which warned of “rampant” child abuse in England and Wales.
There have been several investigations into the grooming scandal, including one by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority which covered Oldham, although critics said its scope was too limited. The Conservative government has rejected an Oldham councilor’s request for a new inquiry in 2022.
