Changes for page Grooming Gangs
Last modified by Ryan C on 2025/08/04 03:54
From 11.1 to 12.1
Show context
Hide context
Summary
Details
-
Page properties
-
- Content
-
... ... @@ -14,21 +14,21 @@ 14 14 15 15 Several major cases and inquiries have defined the grooming gangs scandal in the UK: 16 16 17 -* **Rotherham (1997–2013):** An independent inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay estimated ~~1,400 children were sexually exploited in Rotherham over a 16-year period. Girls as young as 11 were raped by large numbers of men, often in organized networks. The majority of identified perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage;{{footnote}} https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/download/31/independent-inquiry-into-child-sexual-exploitation-in-rotherham-1997---2013{{/footnote}} victims were mostly white British girls. The Jay Report found that police and council officials repeatedly ignored clear evidence of abuse. Some senior officials were reluctant to investigate or report the ethnicity of suspects //“for fear of being thought racist”//, and in some cases managers **instructed staff not to mention suspects’ ethnic origins**. This political correctness and fear of inflaming community tensions contributed to systematic cover-ups. The scandal led to multiple criminal trials (Operation Clover and others) resulting in convictions of around 20 perpetrators by 2016, and to the resignation of council leaders. In 2015 the government appointed **Louise Casey** to inspect Rotherham Council; her report concluded the council was //“not fit for purpose”// and had //“blatant”// failures in leadership. The National Crime Agency later launched **Operation Stovewood{{footnote}} https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/operation-stovewood-seven-men-jailed-total-106-years-sexually-abusing-two-young-girls{{/footnote}}** to investigate Rotherham’s historical cases, which by 2024 had charged or convicted dozens more men. Rotherham became emblematic of how grooming gangs thrived while authorities turned a blind eye.{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-28995751{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://thelead.uk/we-are-known-now-drawn-out-aftermath-rotherham-and-rochdale-child-exploitation-scandal{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-28939089{{/footnote}} 18 -* **Rochdale (2008–2012):** In Rochdale and nearby Oldham, Greater Manchester, a gang of men ran a child exploitation ring out of takeaways and houses. Police had received reports as early as 2008, but an initial prosecution was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which infamously described one 10-year-old victim as //“not credible”// – essentially labeling her an unreliable witness and child prostitute.{{footnote}} https://news.sky.com/story/rochdale-grooming-trial-hears-girl-10-labelled-prostitute-by-social-services-13309361{{/footnote}} It was only after investigative press coverage that a renewed operation secured convictions. In 2012, nine men (eight of Pakistani origin and one Afghan) were convicted of grooming and sexually abusing at least 47 girls.{{footnote}} https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14771955/Rochdale-grooming-gang-convicted-true-horror.html{{/footnote}} The victims – mostly white British teenagers from troubled backgrounds – were plied with alcohol, food, and small sums of money, then passed around to be raped by multiple men. A 2013 serious case review noted that agencies had failed these girls and recommended improvements in how victims are seen and suspects tracked. Rochdale’s case gained widespread attention through media (such as the drama //“[[Three Girls>>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6835252/]]”//) and exposed how prejudice and disbelief among professionals had allowed abuse to continue. The scandal led to the resignation of the head of Rochdale Council’s social services and was one impetus for broader inquiries (such as a 2013 Home Affairs Select Committee report) that urged agencies to acknowledge patterns of group grooming and not let //“racial or ethnic sensitivities”// deter action.{{footnote}} https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grooming-gangs-report-petition-ethnicity-extremism-b1797262.html{{/footnote}} 19 -* **Derby (Operation Retriever, 2010):** In 2010, Derbyshire police successfully prosecuted a group of men for grooming and raping girls with some as young as 12.{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11799797{{/footnote}} Eleven men (mostly of British Asian background) were convicted on charges including rape and trafficking for sexual exploitation. The Derby case is often cited as one of the first major “grooming gang” trials, revealing similar tactics: the men targeted vulnerable teens from local care homes, grooming them with gifts and then subjecting them to gang rape. A serious case review afterwards identified that at least 27 victims had been abused and criticized earlier failures to connect the patterns. It noted multiple perpetrators working together and even using one girl to recruit others – establishing a model of **peer grooming** that would be seen in later cases. The longest sentence given in the case was 3 years, with many not even being deported. {{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11799797{{/footnote}} 20 -* **Oxford (Operation Bullfinch, 2013):** Police in Oxfordshire uncovered a network of men who had been sexually abusing girls in the town of Oxford between 2004 and 2012. In 2013, seven men (all of South Asian Muslim background, mostly Pakistani heritage) were convicted of rape, child prostitution, and trafficking. The victims – six girls aged 11–15 – were repeatedly raped and subjected to extreme cruelty (including branding and beatings). An **independent Serious Case Review** in 2015 found that authorities had opportunities to intervene but largely miscategorized the girls as “problematic” teenagers making “lifestyle choices.” It concluded that the perpetrators’ ethnicity (Pakistani) had not been the primary reason for the authorities’ failings – instead, the girls’ vulnerability and complaints were simply not taken seriously enough. Nonetheless, like elsewhere, **ethnicity was rarely recorded in files**, and there was confusion over whether to treat it as a factor. The Oxford case prompted improved multi-agency work in that county and became a case study in training for social workers nationwide.{{footnote}} https://www.c hannel4.com/news/oxford-abuse-operation-bullfinch-report-thames-valley-police{{/footnote}}21 -* **Telford (1980s–2010s):** Media investigations have alleged that Telford (a town in Shropshire) might have had up to 1,000 grooming gang victims since the 1980s, making it one of the worst examples. In 2018 these claims led Telford’s council to commission an independent inquiry. Published in 2022, the inquiry (led by Tom Crowther QC) confirmed that at least several hundred children were sexually exploited over decades and that agencies repeatedly failed to protect them. It found that police operations (such as Operation Chalice in 2013) had convicted some offenders – seven men of Pakistani origin were jailed in 2013 – but many perpetrators remained free due to police inaction. The report detailed horrific abuse, including girls being trafficked between Telford and other cities, and **multiple chances missed** to stop known offenders. It also highlighted how police and council staff **feared being accused of racism**, with the report stating "“Exploitation was not investigated because of nervousness about race,” because the perpetrators were mainly reported to be Asian men, he concluded."{{footnote}} https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/telford-grooming-gang-children-abused-b2121490.html{{/footnote}} which contributed to reluctance in the mid-2000s to publicize or crack down on predominantly Asian grooming networks. Telford authorities were found to have //“underplayed the scale of abuse”// and even at times misled the public about it. The 2022 inquiry called for a candid acknowledgement of past mistakes and more robust safeguarding. Multiple girls were even killed to silence others. {{footnote}} https://www.newenglishreview.org/father-of-murdered-telford-teenager-lucy-lowe-is-told-to-be-careful-in-a-chilling-threat-sent-after-he-spoke-out-about-his-fears-his-daughter-was-groomed/?print=print{{/footnote}} 17 +* **Rotherham (1997–2013):** An independent inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay estimated ~~1,400 children were sexually exploited in Rotherham over a 16-year period. Girls as young as 11 were raped by large numbers of men, often in organized networks. The majority of identified perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage;{{footnote}} https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/download/31/independent-inquiry-into-child-sexual-exploitation-in-rotherham-1997---2013{{/footnote}} victims were mostly white British girls. The Jay Report found that police and council officials repeatedly ignored clear evidence of abuse. Some senior officials were reluctant to investigate or report the ethnicity of suspects //“for fear of being thought racist”//, and in some cases managers **instructed staff not to mention suspects’ ethnic origins**. This political correctness and fear of inflaming community tensions contributed to systematic cover-ups. The scandal led to multiple criminal trials (Operation Clover and others) resulting in convictions of around 20 perpetrators by 2016, and to the resignation of council leaders. In 2015 the government appointed **Louise Casey** to inspect Rotherham Council; her report concluded the council was //“not fit for purpose”// and had //“blatant”// failures in leadership. The National Crime Agency later launched **Operation Stovewood{{footnote}} https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/operation-stovewood-seven-men-jailed-total-106-years-sexually-abusing-two-young-girls{{/footnote}}** to investigate Rotherham’s historical cases, which by 2024 had charged or convicted dozens more men. Rotherham became emblematic of how grooming gangs thrived while authorities turned a blind eye.{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-28995751{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://thelead.uk/we-are-known-now-drawn-out-aftermath-rotherham-and-rochdale-child-exploitation-scandal{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-28939089{{/footnote}} [[image:2ce79810-71d6-11ef-b282-4535eb84fe4b.jpg.webp||alt="National Crime Agency From top left: Abid Saddiq, Mohammed Amar, Mohammed Siyab, Mohammed Zameer Sadiq, Ramin Bari, Tahir Yassin and Yasser Ajaibe"]] 18 +* **Rochdale (2008–2012):** In Rochdale and nearby Oldham, Greater Manchester, a gang of men ran a child exploitation ring out of takeaways and houses. Police had received reports as early as 2008, but an initial prosecution was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which infamously described one 10-year-old victim as //“not credible”// – essentially labeling her an unreliable witness and child prostitute.{{footnote}} https://news.sky.com/story/rochdale-grooming-trial-hears-girl-10-labelled-prostitute-by-social-services-13309361{{/footnote}} It was only after investigative press coverage that a renewed operation secured convictions. In 2012, nine men (eight of Pakistani origin and one Afghan) were convicted of grooming and sexually abusing at least 47 girls.{{footnote}} https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14771955/Rochdale-grooming-gang-convicted-true-horror.html{{/footnote}} The victims – mostly white British teenagers from troubled backgrounds – were plied with alcohol, food, and small sums of money, then passed around to be raped by multiple men. A 2013 serious case review noted that agencies had failed these girls and recommended improvements in how victims are seen and suspects tracked. Rochdale’s case gained widespread attention through media (such as the drama //“[[Three Girls>>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6835252/]]”//) and exposed how prejudice and disbelief among professionals had allowed abuse to continue. The scandal led to the resignation of the head of Rochdale Council’s social services and was one impetus for broader inquiries (such as a 2013 Home Affairs Select Committee report) that urged agencies to acknowledge patterns of group grooming and not let //“racial or ethnic sensitivities”// deter action.{{footnote}} https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grooming-gangs-report-petition-ethnicity-extremism-b1797262.html{{/footnote}} [[image:1750219436945-269.png]] 19 +* **Derby (Operation Retriever, 2010):** In 2010, Derbyshire police successfully prosecuted a group of men for grooming and raping girls with some as young as 12.{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11799797{{/footnote}} Eleven men (mostly of British Asian background) were convicted on charges including rape and trafficking for sexual exploitation. The Derby case is often cited as one of the first major “grooming gang” trials, revealing similar tactics: the men targeted vulnerable teens from local care homes, grooming them with gifts and then subjecting them to gang rape. A serious case review afterwards identified that at least 27 victims had been abused and criticized earlier failures to connect the patterns. It noted multiple perpetrators working together and even using one girl to recruit others – establishing a model of **peer grooming** that would be seen in later cases. The longest sentence given in the case was 3 years, with many not even being deported. {{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11799797{{/footnote}} [[image:_50708401_liaqat_siddique304.jpg||alt="Mohammed Liaqat, 28, and Abid Saddique, 27"]] 20 +* **Oxford (Operation Bullfinch, 2013):** Police in Oxfordshire uncovered a network of men who had been sexually abusing girls in the town of Oxford between 2004 and 2012. In 2013, seven men (all of South Asian Muslim background, mostly Pakistani heritage) were convicted of rape, child prostitution, and trafficking. The victims – six girls aged 11–15 – were repeatedly raped and subjected to extreme cruelty (including branding and beatings). An **independent Serious Case Review** in 2015 found that authorities had opportunities to intervene but largely miscategorized the girls as “problematic” teenagers making “lifestyle choices.” It concluded that the perpetrators’ ethnicity (Pakistani) had not been the primary reason for the authorities’ failings – instead, the girls’ vulnerability and complaints were simply not taken seriously enough. Nonetheless, like elsewhere, **ethnicity was rarely recorded in files**, and there was confusion over whether to treat it as a factor. The Oxford case prompted improved multi-agency work in that county and became a case study in training for social workers nationwide.{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-31643791{{/footnote}}[[image:https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/624/mcs/media/images/81260000/jpg/_81260296_compguilty.jpg||alt="Guilty members of Oxford sex grooming ring (Top L-R) Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar, Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, (Bottom) Kamar Jamil, Assad Hussain, Zeesham Ahmed"]] 21 +* **Telford (1980s–2010s):** Media investigations have alleged that Telford (a town in Shropshire) might have had up to 1,000 grooming gang victims since the 1980s, making it one of the worst examples. In 2018 these claims led Telford’s council to commission an independent inquiry. Published in 2022, the inquiry (led by Tom Crowther QC) confirmed that at least several hundred children were sexually exploited over decades and that agencies repeatedly failed to protect them. It found that police operations (such as Operation Chalice in 2013) had convicted some offenders – seven men of Pakistani origin were jailed in 2013 – but many perpetrators remained free due to police inaction. The report detailed horrific abuse, including girls being trafficked between Telford and other cities, and **multiple chances missed** to stop known offenders. It also highlighted how police and council staff **feared being accused of racism**, with the report stating "“Exploitation was not investigated because of nervousness about race,” because the perpetrators were mainly reported to be Asian men, he concluded."{{footnote}} https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/telford-grooming-gang-children-abused-b2121490.html{{/footnote}} which contributed to reluctance in the mid-2000s to publicize or crack down on predominantly Asian grooming networks. Telford authorities were found to have //“underplayed the scale of abuse”// and even at times misled the public about it. The 2022 inquiry called for a candid acknowledgement of past mistakes and more robust safeguarding. Multiple girls were even killed to silence others. {{footnote}} https://www.newenglishreview.org/father-of-murdered-telford-teenager-lucy-lowe-is-told-to-be-careful-in-a-chilling-threat-sent-after-he-spoke-out-about-his-fears-his-daughter-was-groomed/?print=print{{/footnote}}[[image:915.jpg||alt="In 2013 seven men were jailed following Operation Chalice, a police inquiry into child prostitution in the Telford area."]] 22 22 * **Huddersfield (Operation Tendersea, 2017–2018):** In West Yorkshire, a massive investigation into grooming in Huddersfield led to 20 men (mostly of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin) being convicted in 2018 for raping and abusing a group of teenage girls. The trials had to be split into three because of the number of defendants. In total, the Huddersfield gang received over 220 years in prison sentences. The case stood out for its scale (one of the largest single grooming gang prosecutions in the UK) and again showed similar patterns – vulnerable young girls, often from broken homes, were lured by older men, given alcohol or drugs, and then repeatedly assaulted, sometimes by several men in one night. An added controversy was the temporary reporting ban on the case, which, when broken by an activist, led to a high-profile contempt of court incident. Huddersfield’s case fed into the narrative that these crimes were occurring in many northern towns beyond just the notorious examples. {{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-65276358{{/footnote}}[[image:1750218979305-658.png]] 23 23 * **Newcastle (Operation Sanctuary, 2014–2017):** In contrast to some other towns, **Newcastle’s grooming gang** investigation revealed a more ethnically mixed group of offenders. In 2017, as part of Operation Sanctuary, Newcastle authorities convicted 17 men and one woman for grooming and abusing at least 22 girls and young women. The perpetrators in that network included people of Pakistani, Indian, Iraqi-Kurdish, Bangladeshi, and Eastern European background as well as white British individuals. This diversity underscored that grooming gangs were //not exclusive to one ethnicity//, even if certain areas saw particular groups predominating. Newcastle’s approach was cited as proactive: they ran a covert operation with a victim who acted as an informant, resulting in a wave of arrests. Nonetheless, a serious case review after Operation Sanctuary still found that earlier warnings had been missed and victims had been dismissed as “child prostitutes” by some officials – echoing themes seen elsewhere. Newcastle’s police and council responded with one of the country’s first “Complex Abuse” units dedicated to such cases and made efforts to share lessons learned nationally. {{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40879427{{/footnote}} [[image:_97268047_sanctuary_18_comp.jpg.webp||alt="Northumbria Police Operation Shelter defendants who were convicted/pleaded guilty of offences including conspiracy to incite prostitution, rape and drugs"]] 24 24 25 -**Other Towns:** Group-based child sexual exploitation has come to light in numerous other locales across England and Wales. Cases in **Derby**, **Bristol**, **Aylesbury**, **Peterborough**, **Halifax**, **Oxford**, **Blackburn**, **Keighley**, **Banbury** 25 +**Other Towns:** Group-based child sexual exploitation has come to light in numerous other locales across England and Wales. Cases in **Derby**, **Bristol**,{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-30078503{{/footnote}} **Aylesbury**,{{footnote}} https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/07/aylesbury-child-abuse-ring-six-men-handed-long-jail-terms{{/footnote}} **Peterborough**,{{footnote}} https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/20/peterborough-child-sex-gang-sentenced{{/footnote}} **Halifax**,{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-47475311{{/footnote}} **Oxford**,{{footnote}} https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/may/14/oxford-gang-guilty-grooming-girls{{/footnote}} **Blackburn**,{{footnote}} https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/national/16995621.20-men-guilty-sex-abuse-major-grooming-gang/{{/footnote}} **Keighley**,{{footnote}} https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2kv2nvj1eo{{/footnote}} **Banbury,{{footnote}} https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/17/public-must-keep-calm-over-ethnicity-of-grooming-gang-offenders-says-louise-casey{{/footnote}}** and more have led to convictions of grooming networks since 2010. For example, in Aylesbury, six men (of South Asian ethnicity) were convicted in 2015 of abusing girls as young as 12; in Bristol, a 2014 case involved 13 Somali-background men exploiting teenagers; in Peterborough, a gang of mainly Czech Roma men was convicted in 2015 (Operation Erle). Each case exposed remarkably similar failings: victims were often known to social services, flagged as at-risk, or repeatedly reported missing from care, yet their abuse continued due to poor communication and disbelief. Collectively, these cases demonstrate that grooming gang crimes were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of organized child sexual exploitation that many authorities struggled to comprehend or were reluctant to openly address. In all cases the perpetrators were overwhelmingly nonwhite. 26 26 27 27 == Grooming Patterns == 28 28 29 -Grooming gangs typically follow a predatory pattern to ensnare and exploit their victims. Commonly, perpetrators approach vulnerable girls – for instance, those living in children’s care homes, from troubled families, or with low self-esteem – and **“groom”** them by feigning friendship, romance, or a caring role. Early stages often involve flattery, gifts, free food, alcohol, drugs, and the apparent glamour of older “boyfriends.” This deliberate conditioning aims to make the child feel indebted or emotionally dependent. Once trust is gained, the abuse escalates: the victim is isolated from family/support, then sexually assaulted by the initial groomer and frequently **passed around to other men** in the network. Grooming gang survivors described being raped by dozens of men in a week, often at pre-arranged “party” houses or hotel rooms. Violence and intimidation (physical assaults, threats to family, blackmail with compromising photos) are used to enforce compliance and silence. In some cases, perpetrators even trafficked girls to different towns or pimped them out for money. A **2010 confidential police report** in the West Midlands, for example, noted that multiple offenders would work together across cities, //“targeting victims on multiple [districts] many miles from where the offenders live,”// and that //“victims are forced into prostitution and high levels of intimidation and force are used to keep [them] compliant.”//. 29 +Grooming gangs typically follow a predatory pattern to ensnare and exploit their victims. Commonly, perpetrators approach vulnerable girls – for instance, those living in children’s care homes, from troubled families, or with low self-esteem – and **“groom”** them by feigning friendship, romance, or a caring role. Early stages often involve flattery, gifts, free food, alcohol, drugs, and the apparent glamour of older “boyfriends.” This deliberate conditioning aims to make the child feel indebted or emotionally dependent. Once trust is gained, the abuse escalates: the victim is isolated from family/support, then sexually assaulted by the initial groomer and frequently **passed around to other men** in the network. Grooming gang survivors described being raped by dozens of men in a week, often at pre-arranged “party” houses or hotel rooms. Violence and intimidation (physical assaults, threats to family, blackmail with compromising photos) are used to enforce compliance and silence. In some cases, perpetrators even trafficked girls to different towns or pimped them out for money. A **2010 confidential police report** in the West Midlands, for example, noted that multiple offenders would work together across cities, //“targeting victims on multiple [districts] many miles from where the offenders live,”// and that //“victims are forced into prostitution and high levels of intimidation and force are used to keep [them] compliant.”//.{{footnote}} https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/group-based-child-sexual-exploitation-characteristics-of-offending{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/police-knew-grooming-gangs-were-targeting{{/footnote}} 30 30 31 -The internal dynamics of these gangs vary. Some are loosely affiliated groups of friends/acquaintances who share victims opportunistically; others are more organized networks with clear ringleaders and routines for finding and exploiting girls. Many offenders held ordinary jobs (e.g. taxi drivers, takeaway workers, doormen), which they exploited to access children. Taxis in particular were a vector: corrupt drivers would pick up girls from schools or care homes without suspicion. In one pattern, **older teen girls already being abused were used as intermediaries** to befriend younger girls and lure them in – a cycle of victim-turned-recruiter seen in cases like the Birmingham (Operation Protection) report. Notably, grooming gang abuse nearly always involves **male perpetrators and female victims**. According to the 2025 national audit, these crimes are //“overwhelmingly committed by men on girls”//, even though a small number of women have been convicted for facilitating gang exploitation. Another hallmark is the tendency of authorities to mislabel the abuse as consensual. For years, police and social workers in some areas viewed the child victims as “child prostitutes” or “promiscuous” teenagers. This “adultification” of children meant signs of grooming were missed or dismissed. Perpetrators took advantage of that attitude, effectively **weaponizing the vulnerability** of their victims: many girls were already deemed “troublemakers,” so their abuse claims were not taken seriously. Baroness Casey in 2025 observed that if, in earlier years, officials had recognized these girls as **children being raped rather than “wayward teenagers”**, and intervened decisively, much suffering could have been prevented. Instead, a vicious cycle persisted: the lack of early protection made victims more beholden to their abusers, allowing the grooming and exploitation to continue sometimes for years. 31 +The internal dynamics of these gangs vary. Some are loosely affiliated groups of friends/acquaintances who share victims opportunistically; others are more organized networks with clear ringleaders and routines for finding and exploiting girls. Many offenders held ordinary jobs (e.g. taxi drivers, takeaway workers, doormen), which they exploited to access children. Taxis in particular were a vector: corrupt drivers would pick up girls from schools or care homes without suspicion. In one pattern, **older teen girls already being abused were used as intermediaries** to befriend younger girls and lure them in – a cycle of victim-turned-recruiter seen in cases like the Birmingham (Operation Protection) report. Notably, grooming gang abuse nearly always involves **male perpetrators and female victims**. According to the 2025 national audit, these crimes are //“overwhelmingly committed by men on girls”//, even though a small number of women have been convicted for facilitating gang exploitation. Another hallmark is the tendency of authorities to mislabel the abuse as consensual. For years, police and social workers in some areas viewed the child victims as “child prostitutes” or “promiscuous” teenagers. This “adultification” of children meant signs of grooming were missed or dismissed. Perpetrators took advantage of that attitude, effectively **weaponizing the vulnerability** of their victims: many girls were already deemed “troublemakers,” so their abuse claims were not taken seriously. Baroness Casey in 2025 observed that if, in earlier years, officials had recognized these girls as **children being raped rather than “wayward teenagers”**, and intervened decisively, much suffering could have been prevented. Instead, a vicious cycle persisted: the lack of early protection made victims more beholden to their abusers, allowing the grooming and exploitation to continue sometimes for years. {{footnote}} https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SPCB-141104-Child-Sexual-Exploitation.pdf{{/footnote}} 32 32 33 33 Once police began actively investigating, they often uncovered **large numbers of victims and perpetrators** linked through overlapping incidents. Grooming gang operations tend to mushroom: an inquiry might start with one victim’s report, then snowball to dozens of victims and suspects as patterns emerge. In Greater Manchester, for instance, police launched a taskforce in the early 2020s and within three years identified **at least 35 grooming gang operations** with //317 known victims//. Those investigations named **243 suspects** connected to group-based exploitation in that region. This illustrates both the extent of abuse and the complexity for law enforcement – each network can involve many interrelated cases. The 2025 audit noted that grooming gangs often form along social lines (friendships, family or community ties among offenders), which means **new recruits** to offending can be drawn in and patterns replicate within certain demographics or localities. Acting in a group may also embolden perpetrators (“pack mentality”), lowering their inhibitions to commit extreme abuse that they might not commit alone. The end result is a pattern of organized, serial sexual abuse of children, hidden in plain sight and perpetuated by a mix of victim vulnerabilities, offender networking, and tragically, the historical complacency of institutions that should have intervened. 34 34 ... ... @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ 46 46 47 47 While comprehensive nationwide statistics are lacking (due to years of poor data recording), several reports and local investigations have provided numeric breakdowns of offender ethnicity in grooming gang cases. Below are examples illustrating the ethnic composition of grooming gang perpetrators in different contexts: 48 48 49 -**West Midlands Police (Operation “Protection” report, 2010):** An internal **problem profile** in March 2010 identified 75 suspects involved in group child sexual exploitation in the West Midlands. Of those 75 suspects, **79% were Asian**, 12% were White, and 5% were African-Caribbean. Furthermore, //“62% of Asian suspects are of Pakistani origin”//, meaning **about half of all suspects (37 of 75) were Pakistani-heritage males**. The report also noted 139 potential victims (78% of whom were white girls) that had been identified by that time. This confidential profile was not released publicly in 2010 – police feared the //“predominant offender profile of Pakistani Muslim males… combined with [white female victims] has the potential to cause significant community tensions.”// The data, obtained later via FOI, now stands as concrete evidence of what officers knew: in that region, the overwhelming majority of known grooming gang perpetrators were of South Asian (especially Pakistani) background. 49 +**West Midlands Police (Operation “Protection” report, 2010):** An internal **problem profile** in March 2010 identified 75 suspects involved in group child sexual exploitation in the West Midlands. Of those 75 suspects, **79% were Asian**, 12% were White, and 5% were African-Caribbean. Furthermore, //“62% of Asian suspects are of Pakistani origin”//, meaning **about half of all suspects (37 of 75) were Pakistani-heritage males**. The report also noted 139 potential victims (78% of whom were white girls) that had been identified by that time. This confidential profile was not released publicly in 2010 – police feared the //“predominant offender profile of Pakistani Muslim males… combined with [white female victims] has the potential to cause significant community tensions.”// The data, obtained later via FOI, now stands as concrete evidence of what officers knew: in that region, the overwhelming majority of known grooming gang perpetrators were of South Asian (especially Pakistani) background. {{footnote}} https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/child-sexual-exploitation-force-west-9151006{{/footnote}} 50 50 51 51 **Greater Manchester Police (GMP Grooming Investigations, 2022–2025):** As part of the 2025 Casey audit, GMP supplied recent data covering 35 group CSE operations in Greater Manchester (Jan 2022–May 2025). Among **243 identified suspects** in those investigations, the ethnic breakdown was **54% Asian, 35% White, 3% Black, and 8% “Other”**. In absolute numbers, that equates to approximately 131 Asian suspects, 85 White suspects, 7 Black suspects, and 20 of other ethnicities. Thus, just over half of the suspects were of Asian heritage, confirming a disproportionate representation relative to the local population. GMP also provided data on the victims in these cases: of **317 known victims**, the vast majority (approximately 298, or 94%) were female, and about 79% of all victims were White (with smaller numbers of Asian, Black, and Mixed ethnicity victims). For instance, GMP recorded 267 female victims – of whom 250 were White (≈94%), 8 Asian, 5 Black, 4 “Other” – and 50 male victims (48 White, 1 Asian, 1 Black). This aligns with the pattern observed in most prior cases: victims are predominantly young white girls, while suspects in group grooming tend more often to be men of minority (especially South Asian) backgrounds, at least in the areas studied. 52 52 ... ... @@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ 86 86 87 87 * **Not Believing Victims / Victim Blaming:** Perhaps the most tragic failing was that many victims tried to seek help but were dismissed. In Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford and elsewhere, teenage girls went to police or social services with reports of rape or gave clear signs of abuse (STIs, pregnancies, substance misuse), yet authorities often //blamed the girls// for “putting themselves in that situation.” A cultural attitude in policing saw these youths as //“child prostitutes”// or delinquents rather than children to be rescued. For example, in Rochdale 2008, a 15-year-old’s complaint was not pursued largely because the CPS attorney doubted a jury would believe a “troublesome” girl who had been drinking – effectively prioritizing her perceived credibility over investigating her rape claims. This **“adultification”** of vulnerable children – treating them as consenting adults – was endemic. As late as the mid-2010s, some criminal cases of clear child abuse were inexplicably downgraded. Baroness Casey noted in 2025 that there were //“too many examples of cases being dropped or charges downgraded from rape to lesser offences”// because a 13–15 year-old victim was said to have been “in love with” the perpetrator or to have “consented”. In reality, children cannot consent to their own abuse. Such decisions by police and prosecutors allowed offenders to escape with lighter punishment or no punishment at all. The audit called this gray area in law and practice //“nuance being used to the benefit of much older men”// who groomed minors. This represents a fundamental justice failure. 88 88 * **Slow or No Action on Reports:** Even when patterns became apparent, police forces were painfully slow to act. In Rotherham, despite dozens of reports and even internal intelligence about networks of men targeting girls (dating back to the late 1990s), the first major police operation (Operation Central) did not occur until 2008–2010. Similarly, in the **Oldham** area, allegations surfaced that a known offender was grooming girls as early as 2005, but police failed to properly investigate at the time, allegedly in part because one suspect was a police informant. The Oldham review in 2022 confirmed that opportunities to apprehend offenders were missed. In the **West Midlands**, as noted, police compiled clear evidence in 2010 of an active abuse network (75 suspects, 139 victims) but chose not to alert the public or launch high-profile enforcement then. It took years – and often external pressure from journalists or whistleblowers – for many investigations to get off the ground. Another glaring failure was how **rarely proactive investigations** were mounted. Instead of seeking victims, police tended to wait for victims to come forward individually. Casey’s audit observed that in many areas, it was only after media exposés or public inquiries shamed them that police “woke up” and conducted full operations. There was a reluctance to connect the dots between separate incidents, even when the same names/places kept appearing. 89 -* **Fear of Being Branded ‘Racist’:** Multiple sources have found that some police officers and council workers were hesitant to pursue predominantly Pakistani-heritage grooming suspects vigorously //because// they worried about accusations of racial profiling or inflaming communal tensions. This has been one of the most contentious points. The 2014 Jay Report explicitly found that Rotherham police //“did not engage directly with the Pakistani-heritage community”// on the issue and that //“several staff described their nervousness about identifying the ethnic origins of perpetrators”//. In some instances, this amounted to **wilful blindness** – choosing not to follow investigative leads that pointed to Asian men, or deciding not to publicize threats to children. A concrete example: **West Midlands Police in 2010** had identified specific schools and care homes where girls were being targeted by Pakistani-origin men, yet they made no public warnings. The internal report explicitly cited concern that, because the offenders were mostly Pakistani Muslim and victims white, disclosing this //“had the potential to cause significant community tensions”//, especially with an English Defence League rally upcoming. An officer later admitted they //“feared being seen as institutionally racist”//. This approach amounted to an unofficial **policy of inaction** on a racial basis, effectively placing avoiding criticism above child safeguarding. Baroness Casey’s 2025 findings underscore this as a systemic problem: //“Police avoided pursuing grooming gangs for fear of being viewed as racist,”// as one summary of her report put it. Such avoidance allowed offenders in places like Rotherham, Rochdale, and Oldham to continue abusing children even when some authorities privately suspected what was happening. 89 +* **Fear of Being Branded ‘Racist’:** Multiple sources have found that some police officers and council workers were hesitant to pursue predominantly Pakistani-heritage grooming suspects vigorously //because// they worried about accusations of racial profiling or inflaming communal tensions. This has been one of the most contentious points. The 2014 Jay Report explicitly found that Rotherham police //“did not engage directly with the Pakistani-heritage community”// on the issue and that //“several staff described their nervousness about identifying the ethnic origins of perpetrators”//. In some instances, this amounted to **wilful blindness** – choosing not to follow investigative leads that pointed to Asian men, or deciding not to publicize threats to children. A concrete example: **West Midlands Police in 2010** had identified specific schools and care homes where girls were being targeted by Pakistani-origin men, yet they made no public warnings.{{footnote}} https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/police-knew-grooming-gangs-were-targeting{{/footnote}} The internal report explicitly cited concern that, because the offenders were mostly Pakistani Muslim and victims white, disclosing this //“had the potential to cause significant community tensions”//, especially with an English Defence League rally upcoming. An officer later admitted they //“feared being seen as institutionally racist”//. This approach amounted to an unofficial **policy of inaction** on a racial basis, effectively placing avoiding criticism above child safeguarding. Baroness Casey’s 2025 findings underscore this as a systemic problem: //“Police avoided pursuing grooming gangs for fear of being viewed as racist,”// as one summary of her report put it. Such avoidance allowed offenders in places like Rotherham, Rochdale, and Oldham to continue abusing children even when some authorities privately suspected what was happening. 90 90 * **Poor Coordination and Record-Keeping:** Another failure was the sheer disarray of information within and between agencies. The grooming cases fell through the cracks of various systems – police, social services, schools, health – none of which shared data well. Perpetrators exploited this fragmentation. For instance, an offender banned in one town could simply move to another to continue offending, since intelligence wasn’t systematically passed on. Casey’s audit notes that police data on CSE was //“stored across multiple systems which do not communicate… within a force [or] between forces”//. Additionally, vital data like ethnicity, vehicle info (e.g., taxi license details), etc., were not collected or linked to suspect profiles. Basic policing work was sometimes lacking: victims or their parents would give police names, nicknames, car plate numbers of suspects, only for these not to be properly followed up or cross-referenced. When the Greater Manchester review (2020) revisited old files, they found numerous leads that had been dropped without investigation. Similarly, the 2013 Oxfordshire serious case review pointed out that even when social workers had lists of suspected exploiters, there was no effective mechanism to get police to act on that intelligence unless a victim made a formal complaint. 91 91 * **Lack of Accountability and Transparency:** Even after failures were identified, few officers or officials faced serious consequences. Often those in charge during the worst periods retired or moved jobs with pensions intact. In Rotherham, it took until after the Jay Report for the Chief Constable and others to step down under pressure. In other areas, inquiries noted a //“reluctance to accept the need for people to understand what happened”// and a defensive culture. Whistleblowers within the system (like some youth workers who raised alarms) were sometimes ostracized or silenced. This created a chilling effect where professionals feared speaking out. The failure to hold anyone accountable for so long eroded trust – victims and their families felt deeply betrayed. As Casey put it, //“institutions which bear responsibility for how these crimes were handled then fail to give victims the accountability they seek”//, resulting in victims feeling they have no choice but to call for independent inquiries. Only in recent years have we seen some consequences: e.g., South Yorkshire Police were heavily criticized, Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Constable publicly apologized, and a few officials (like a Rochdale social services director) faced disciplinary processes. But by and large, accountability has been elusive. 92 92
-
2ce79810-71d6-11ef-b282-4535eb84fe4b.jpg.webp
-
- Author
-
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@ 1 +XWiki.AdminAngriff - Size
-
... ... @@ -1,0 +1,1 @@ 1 +1.9 MB -
Content
