The UK grooming gangs scandal, which spanned decades, reveals system failures to safeguard vulnerable children, mostly young girls, from mass sexual exploitation. Notorious cases in Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford have uncovered thousands of victims, with an estimated 1,400 children being sexually abused in Rotherham alone between 1997 and 2013.
Pakistani perpetrators, ‘staining the society’
Victims as as young as 10 years old ,were exploited by perpetrators, usually men of Pakistani origin, by drugs, alcohol, and coercion. These offenses, defined as a “stain on society,” inflicted deep damage, with sufferers left suffering from lifetime trauma as a result of institutional omission.
Fear of ‘racism accusations’ gone too far
Institutions, such as councils and police, continued to fail to respond repeatedly, held back by a culture of “blindness, ignorance, and prejudice.” Fear of accusations of racism held back investigations, according to Baroness Casey’s 2025 report, in which it was discovered that ethnicity data was not recorded for two-thirds of the perpetrators, hiding patterns.
Victims were too often pushed aside as unreliable or held responsible for their exploitation, with some criminalized. In Oldham, a 2022 review noted “serious failings” by councils and police, whereas Telford’s investigation identified more than 1,000 victims who were ignored through misplaced fears regarding community tensions.
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Government’s response – too little too late?
The traditionally feeble government response added to the crisis. Successive governments have, until recently, pushed back against demands for a national inquiry on the grounds of a seven-year investigation by Professor Alexis Jay that concluded in 2022. Local inquiries, such as those in Rotherham and Telford, revealed cover-ups and poor responses, but national action remained slow.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper decided on a fast-track audit instead of a statutory investigation in January 2025, with accusations that she was sweeping the problem under the carpet to deflect political criticism. The move was criticized by Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch and Elon Musk as showing reluctance to face up to uncomfortable realities concerning perpetrator backgrounds and institutional shortcomings.
National enquiry finally
In the face of severe pressure, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a statutory national inquiry in June 2025, endorsing Casey’s proposals. The inquiry, under the guidance of an independent commission with the power to call witnesses, seeks to examine more than 1,000 cases and synch up local investigations. It will enforce ethnicity data collection and make legislation stricter, charging all sexual penetration of under-16-year-olds as rape.
Though the inquiry vows accountability, critics such as Nigel Farage call on it not to become a “whitewash.” Since public confidence is low—only 43% trust authorities to deal with the issue—the inquiry has to come with justice and system reform to avoid further failures.
