UK grooming gang inquiry finds widespread abuse as police plan to reopen thousands of cases

A survivor‑led inquiry into group‑based child sexual exploitation in the United Kingdom concluded that organised grooming gangs, largely identified as Muslim‑background men, operated in at least 149 local authority districts. The 219‑page report called for stronger sentencing, better data collection, institutional accountability and new legislation targeting gang‑based abuse.

The Metropolitan Police disclosed that an audit of historic abuse reports uncovered more than 12,000 alleged incidents, of which over 4,000 may need to be reopened. The review comes amid political controversy, with Mayor Sadiq Khan previously denying the existence of grooming gangs in London. A national inquiry chaired by former children’s commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield, and the creation of the NCA’s Operation Beaconport, aim to address the systemic failures highlighted by the report.