Grooming Gangs Inquiry Expands Investigations to Wales and Birmingham

The national inquiry into grooming gangs has launched new investigations in Wales and Birmingham. These probes aim to examine the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by grooming gangs and the effectiveness of the organizations responsible for child protection.

This expansion follows initial investigations announced in June, which focused on London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley. The inquiry stated that each local investigation is intended to help determine why institutions and organizations failed to protect victims and survivors of abuse, with findings contributing to national recommendations.

Baroness Anne Longfield, the former children's commissioner for England, is leading the £65 million, three-year inquiry. It possesses legal authority to compel witnesses and request documents. Baroness Longfield has indicated the inquiry will "follow the evidence wherever it leads."

The inquiry team has identified over 800 recommendations concerning grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation from various reviews and reports dating back to the 1990s. Analysis suggests significant inconsistencies in how these recommendations have been implemented.

The inquiry previously stated it would investigate whether ethnicity, culture, or religion influenced offending and the institutional response to it. Any evidence of criminal activity uncovered will be referred to Operation Beaconport, a national police operation established last year to review previously closed investigations.

More investigations are expected to be announced, and the inquiry plans to hold its first public hearings by the end of the year. These hearings will be livestreamed, with transcripts published afterward. Findings will be released progressively rather than waiting for a final report. The inquiry is scheduled to conclude by March 2029.

The inquiry will scrutinize how grooming gangs operated and how various institutions, including police, local authorities, health services, social care, and schools, responded to these activities. Local investigations will target areas identified with significant failures in addressing child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs.