"The Latest: Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips denies Oldham's request for a public inquiry into child exploitation, prompting Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to demand a national investigation into the UK's grooming gangs scandal. The Impact: Previous inquiries revealed tens of thousands of child victims across UK towns, with a 2022 report describing sexual abuse as an epidemic. Local investigations found up to 1,400 children abused in Rotherham and 1,000 in Telford over decades."