A victim of alleged grooming gangs in Glasgow has urged Scotland’s First Minister to launch a national inquiry.
In a letter to John Swinney, Taylor, which is not her real name, said she was 13 and in care when she was targeted by a “Pakistani grooming gang” operating from flats in Govanhill and Rutherglen.
The woman, who is now in her 20s, said she and her friends were sexually abused and exploited by at least 10 men, who had plied the children with alcohol and drugs.
She said it is “clear” such abuse is still ongoing, and she called for the Government to launch a national inquiry.
She wrote: “Before my 14th birthday is when I became the target of a Pakistani grooming gang operating out of flats in the Govanhill and Rutherglen areas in Glasgow.
“Another girl in my unit believed that she was the girlfriend of one of them.
“It started off friendly, being picked up, taken places, given things and progressed quickly into [child sexual exploitation].
“My friends and I were plied with alcohol and drugs and sexually abused by many men.
“There were at least 10 Pakistani men responsible for sexually abusing and exploiting me and my friends.”
Taylor said she was “deeply disappointed” with Mr Swinney and police, who she said failed to take her “complaint seriously”.
She said she had contacted both directly after finding “upsetting information” within her care records. She said she had initially believed the care home, police and social services “knew nothing” about the alleged abuse she suffered “but my records say different”.
Taylor said she had chosen to “make sure my voice is heard” after receiving “dismissive replies” from the First Minister and Police Scotland.
She added: “I realised that following the child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation I experienced at the hands of grooming gangs in Scotland almost two decades ago, nothing has been done to protect vulnerable children in Scotland.
“It is clear that it is still happening.
“As a solution, I am firm in my belief that a rapid audit into grooming gangs in Scotland is urgently required.
“There can be no delay if Natalie Don-Innes, minister for children and young people, is to be believed when she states that the ‘Scottish Government takes the shocking and abhorrent abuse of children seriously’.
“A full inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland must follow any audit in order to protect children suffering now, and any potential victims in the future.”
A national inquiry into grooming gangs will take place in England and Wales but one has not been set up in Scotland.
The Scottish Conservatives, who have been calling for a nationwide probe, said Taylor’s “powerful letter should shame John Swinney into doing the right thing”.
Tory leader Russell Findlay added: “He needs to stop making excuses and start listening to Taylor and others who suffered unimaginable abuse by paedophile gangs – only to be failed by the police and other authorities.
“There can be no more cover-up and betrayal.
“Scottish grooming gang victims deserve the same transparency, answers and justice as those in the rest of the UK.”
Responding to Taylor, Ms Don-Innes: “I want to thank Taylor for her courage to speak out on such an important subject. I am deeply saddened to hear of any cases of sexual abuse as I know the devastating impacts such abuse has on victims and their families and I expect any report of child abuse or exploitation made to Police Scotland to be taken very seriously and all reports investigated.
“The Scottish Government and its partners are taking action through the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group, which brings together key services and expert stakeholders including Police Scotland and Professor Alexis Jay to strengthen our collective approach against this horrendous form of abuse.
“The Scottish Government will give every consideration to the need for an independent public inquiry into the operation of ‘grooming gangs’ in Scotland, should it be deemed necessary.
“Police Scotland is actively reviewing investigations right now and we have also been clear that we are prepared to give every consideration to a grooming gangs inquiry if that is assessed as a necessity.
“Furthermore, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry currently taking place is one of the widest ranging ever undertaken in Scotland and includes an extensive review of the protection of children in care in Scotland.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A complaint about the police was received in September 2025. The complainer was spoken to and we confirmed information had been passed to us, but since no report was made to police in reference to any crime, this complaint did not fit the criteria as a complaint about the police.
“The complainer was advised she should make a report to police if she had been a victim of a crime. The complainer confirmed she was happy to have the complaint closed with this advice.”
Detective Superintendent Nicky McGovern said: “We take a multi-agency approach when dealing with child sexual exploitation.
“Information is shared between partners but this would not necessarily instigate an immediate investigation, as we would require the express consent of the potential victim before proceeding.
“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of child sexual exploitation to contact us, and they can be assured we will take their report seriously and they will be supported by specialist officers.”
