New Independent Inquiry Pledges Accountability for Grooming Gang Failures
Police forces and other institutions that failed to investigate child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs will be held to account, the head of a new independent inquiry has pledged today. Baroness Anne Longfield, chairing the inquiry, promised that issues of ethnicity, culture and religion would be rigorously scrutinised as part of the comprehensive investigation.
Scope and Mandate of the Investigation
The inquiry, which has published its terms of reference this morning, will specifically investigate how grooming gangs operated across England and Wales and how multiple institutions responded to the abuse. These institutions include police forces, local authorities, health services, social care providers, and schools. With a budget of £65 million, the inquiry is scheduled to conclude no later than March 2029.
Any evidence of criminal conduct by professionals uncovered during the investigation will be referred to Operation Beaconport. This specially-launched national policing operation was established last year to review hundreds of previously-closed investigations into child sexual exploitation.
Examining Uncomfortable Truths
The inquiry has committed to directly examining whether the ethnicity, culture, or religion of either perpetrators or victims influenced patterns of offending. It will also investigate whether these factors shaped the institutional response to reports of abuse. The terms of reference state: "These are questions that previous reviews chose not to address. This Inquiry will not avoid them."
Baroness Longfield, the former children's commissioner for England who is chairing the inquiry, stated: "Children across England and Wales were and are sexually abused and exploited. When they asked for help, they were too often disbelieved, dismissed or blamed. That is the reality this inquiry exists to address."
Concerns About Geographical Limitations
Despite these commitments, solicitors representing victims and survivors of child sexual grooming have expressed significant concerns about the inquiry's scope. The investigation is currently limited to just five geographical areas, beginning with Oldham in Greater Manchester. The other four locations have not yet been specified.
David Greenwood, head of the abuse compensation team at law firm Switalskis, voiced his apprehension about potential political influence. He said he was "very concerned" that the Labour-run Home Office would be able to influence which locations are examined, fearing this could create "perceptions of bias."
Survivor Perspectives and Criticisms
Rotherham abuse survivor and campaigner Sammy Woodhouse argued that the inquiry should be widened to a much broader geographical scale. She emphasised that grooming was occurring in "every town, every city" across the country. Ms Woodhouse also criticised the time limit starting from 1996, noting that high-profile abuse cases were occurring many years earlier.
Ms Woodhouse, who was raped and abused from the age of 14, expressed further concerns about the inquiry's methodology. She highlighted that the terms of reference do not specifically refer to Muslim men, despite the well-documented patterns in many grooming gang cases. "I think they need to call a spade a spade," she stated. "It's evident that this is still a problem. Why are they shying away from it?"
Progressive Publication of Findings
Baroness Longfield has promised a different approach from previous inquiries, stating: "Where we can, we will publish our findings as we go, not in a single report years from now. There will be no opportunity for institutions to quietly manage what we find. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads. We will not flinch from uncomfortable truths."
The inquiry will have significant legal powers, including the ability to compel witnesses to give evidence and require organisations to hand over documents. Public hearings will be held and live-streamed, with transcripts published after each session.
Political Responses and Next Steps
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the grooming gangs scandal as "one of the darkest moments in our country's history" and promised the inquiry would be "laser focused" on examining the role of ethnicity, religion and culture.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed what she described as "significantly strengthened terms of reference," noting that initial drafts had not included examination of ethnicity and religion factors.
The next step for the inquiry involves laying the terms of reference before Parliament when it returns from recess on April 13, after which the full investigation will commence. The inquiry panel will be supported by Zoe Billingham, a former Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, and Eleanor Kelly, a former chief executive of Southwark Council.
