The independent inquiry into grooming gangs has announced that London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley will be the first towns and cities investigated. Chaired by Anne Longfield, the inquiry will compel individuals and institutions to explain what they did or did not do to protect children from sexual abuse.
The inquiry will hold three-part hearings examining Whitehall departments, local councils, the NHS, and national police institutions. More areas will be confirmed as the investigation progresses, following months of lobbying from survivors and campaigners.
In Oldham, patterns of abuse were first noticed in the early 2000s, with girls as young as 12 in care homes abused by groups of predominantly Asian men. Despite demands from the council, the Home Office declined to launch a statutory inquiry in late 2024, prompting criticism from Elon Musk.
Concerns about Asian grooming gangs in Keighley were raised in 2003 by then MP Ann Cryer, who faced accusations of racism and threats after going public. In Bradford, survivor Fiona Goddard, abused from age 14, said it had been 'a long fight' for the truth to emerge.
The inquiry team said London was chosen partly because it has the highest rate of referrals for child sexual exploitation in England. The investigation will also assess 'the wider network of grooming gangs across London's satellite towns and cities'.
More than 800 recommendations relating to grooming gangs dating back to the 1990s have been identified. The inquiry's third phase will examine tech companies and the role of technology in exploitation. The government accepted all recommendations from Louise Casey's rapid audit, which found evidence of disproportionate representation of Asian men exploiting white teenage girls.
