The statutory independent inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales will directly examine whether ethnicity, culture or religion influenced offending and the institutional response. The terms of reference, published ahead of being laid before parliament on 13 April, give the inquiry legal powers to compel witnesses and demand documents.
Chaired by former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield, the inquiry will investigate how grooming gangs operated and how institutions such as police, local authorities, health services, social care and schools responded. Any evidence of criminal conduct by professionals will be referred to Operation Beaconport, the national policing operation launched last year.
Local investigations will take place in areas where serious failures have been identified, with Oldham confirmed among the first. The inquiry will hold public hearings, livestreamed with transcripts published, and findings will be released progressively rather than in a final report. It has a maximum duration of three years, concluding no later than March 2029, with a £65 million budget.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the inquiry would be “laser focused” on grooming gangs and explicitly examine the role of ethnicity, religion and culture. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the strengthened terms, noting the initial draft did not examine these factors. The inquiry was set up following Louise Casey’s national audit, which found systemic failures enabled grooming gangs to operate for years.
