Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced a new statutory public inquiry into grooming gangs, reversing his earlier opposition. The decision follows the receipt of an independent report by Baroness Louise Casey, which Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described as “damning.”
In Parliament, Cooper outlined the report’s findings, citing a “deep rooted failure to treat children as children” and a “continued failure to protect children and teenage girls from rape, from exploitation and serious violence.” She noted fragmentation in authorities’ responses, insufficient information sharing, and too many criminals evading justice.
The inquiry will be statutory, granting powers to compel testimony and evidence. It is expected to take around three years. A No 10 spokesperson stated it will build on the work of Professor Alexis Jay’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, focusing on local-level failures. The inquiry will also examine the ethnicity and demographics of abusers and victims, as well as cultural and societal drivers.
The announcement follows intense pressure, including from Elon Musk, who accused Labour ministers of covering up crimes. Starmer had previously resisted calls for a new inquiry, pointing to existing local inquiries and the Jay inquiry. However, he now believes a new inquiry is the “right thing to do.”
The grooming gangs scandal dates back to 2001, with the first convictions in 2010. A total of 61 convictions have been secured, with the latest in 2024. An investigation by The Times in 2011 revealed that Rotherham authorities had known about the abuse for over a decade.
