The Metropolitan Police has identified more than 4,000 grooming gang cases in London that may need to be reinvestigated. Scotland Yard has been carrying out an audit of group-based exploitation and sexual abuse in the capital dating back to 2010, amid concern victims have been denied justice.
Background of the Audit
It has been reassessing 9,000 cases in the wake of Baroness Casey last year publishing a scathing review of the response to grooming gangs, concluding the criminal justice system had been letting down victims for decades. It led to the National Crime Agency (NCA) setting up Operation Beaconport to identify criminal cases that had been closed prematurely.
A £65 million national independent inquiry into grooming gangs has also been launched. London was chosen this week as among the first places to be investigated by the inquiry.
Cases Identified for Review
An in-depth review by the Met has identified more than 4,000 cases where the police or Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had made a decision to take no further action, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Those cases have been passed to the NCA, which is expected to announce in the coming weeks how many the force must reopen in the hope of bringing perpetrators to justice, the newspaper reported.
A source told the newspaper that the cases that had been reviewed were a mixture of intrafamilial, online and in-person child sexual abuse and exploitation. A source told the Standard the criteria of cases that had been identified for review were “much broader” than “the profile most typically associated with commentary or reporting on grooming gangs”.
Political Reactions
The need to potentially reinvestigate thousands of cases comes despite claims previously made by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan that there was no indication of rape gangs operating in the capital and that the issue in London was different from other areas. Susan Hall, the Conservative leader on the Greater London Authority (GLA), who fought for an inquiry into grooming gangs in London, welcomed the problem finally being under the spotlight and said justice was long overdue for the victims.
She said: “The mayor’s response was utterly disgraceful. It has been like getting blood out of a stone. The resistance I have encountered has been totally unacceptable and when you look at the number of cases being reviewed you have to stop and think that is 4,000 young girls raped and sexually abused and you have to think how dreadful that is.”
The Mayor of London this week welcomed the grooming gangs inquiry’s focus on London, saying “marking your own homework is not good enough”. Sir Sadiq Khan said it was important “no stone is left unturned” as the inquiry sets about its work.
Sir Sadiq said: “It’s really important no stone is left unturned when it comes to ensuring the victims and survivors get justice and anybody responsible for all their heinous crimes are brought to book.” He said he had commissioned HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to look into the Metropolitan Police over its handling of child sexual abuse. He said: “We looked into the whole issue of child sex exploitation (CSE) and I welcome this external analysis of the Met Police Service.”
Police Statement
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth said: “We are fully committed to engaging with the National Inquiry and the Operation Beaconport review into past cases led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC). We have identified those previously closed cases that meet the criteria to be considered as part of Operation Beaconport. If it is determined that any require further investigation, we will of course take that work forward to deliver justice for the victim-survivors involved. We would urge anyone who has – or is still – experiencing abuse of any kind to come forward. You will be listened to and supported.”
