Four women have revealed their experiences of being sexually exploited and coerced into criminal activity by drug gangs during their teenage years, alleging that authorities failed to protect them and adequately address their claims. These accounts, detailed in a BBC documentary titled "Britain's Forgotten Girls," span incidents from 2002 to the present and highlight a pattern of abuse where young individuals are targeted by both peers and older men associated with criminal organizations.
Christine, who was 13 when she first connected online with a man she believed to be a teenager, found he was a 23-year-old involved in gangs and drugs. Over several years, she alleges he used her to transport drugs, subjected her to severe sexual exploitation, and assaulted her to the point where she feared for her life. Christine moved to Coventry after her parents' divorce and felt isolated at school, which she believes made her vulnerable to the man's advances. She recounted how he dismissed her age, stating it did not matter and they began a relationship.
Another woman, Annie from south-east London, described being drawn into a gang's activities by the attention and perceived thrill of associating with older boys involved in drugs. Like Christine, her initial interactions evolved into coercion and exploitation.
The accounts suggest that the sexual and criminal exploitation of girls by drug gangs has often been overshadowed in public discourse by a greater focus on sexual grooming gangs. Connie Muttock from the children's charity Centre for Young Lives explained that while grooming gangs primarily focus on sexual exploitation, drug gangs' main objective is financial gain through drug sales and other criminal activities, though girls are often sexually abused as well.
A recent government audit concerning group-based sexual abuse and exploitation in England and Wales indicated that authorities frequently fail to support victims. The BBC has learned that an independent inquiry, established in response to this audit, will address the issue of drug gangs. The women who have shared their stories have chosen to waive their anonymity to bring attention to their experiences and what they perceive as systemic failures in protecting vulnerable young people from such exploitation.