The British government has launched a nationwide inquiry into child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs, following a landmark report that found authorities failed to act for years due to fears of being called racist.
The report, led by Baroness (Louise) Casey, revealed that many public institutions—including police forces—ignored or downplayed crimes involving gangs of predominantly Pakistani and other Asian-heritage men, despite clear patterns of abuse. Victims were often teenage girls, some as young as 10, who were systematically raped and trafficked.
Britain’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government would accept all recommendations from the report. These include overhauling rape laws, re-examining more than 800 past cases, and expunging the criminal records of victims wrongly charged with prostitution while their abusers went free.
“This will be the largest effort ever to dismantle the grooming gangs,” Cooper told lawmakers. “Perpetrators who have grown used to the authorities looking the other way must have no place to hide.”
The scandal first came to light in 2011 in the town of Rochdale, but has since spread to other cities in northern England. Many of the victims came from vulnerable backgrounds, including foster care and disability services. Activists have long accused officials of failing to protect them to avoid inflaming ethnic tensions.
Baroness Casey’s report criticized the reliance on “flawed data” and found that some agencies deliberately avoided tracking offenders’ ethnicity. She warned this not only harmed victims but also hurt law-abiding members of minority communities.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of delaying action, calling the announcement “a victory for survivors” after years of political resistance.
The government also pledged to change the law so that convicted sex offenders will no longer be eligible for refugee status.
