London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley named as first areas for grooming gangs inquiry

The independent inquiry into grooming gangs will begin its investigations in London, Oldham, Bradford, and Keighley, it was announced on Wednesday. The three-part hearings will examine central government departments and politicians as well as local councils, the NHS, and national police institutions.

Chair Anne Longfield stated that individuals and institutions will be compelled to explain what they “did or did not do to protect children from being sexually abused”. Survivors and campaigners have lobbied for months over which areas would be included. Not all areas will be investigated; more will be added in subsequent phases.

In Oldham, patterns of abuse were first noticed in the early 2000s, with girls as young as 12 living in care homes being abused by groups of predominantly Asian men. The Home Office refused a statutory inquiry in late 2024 despite recent council demands, prompting Elon Musk to call for the then safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to be imprisoned.

In Keighley, concerns were raised in 2003 by MP Ann Cryer, who was accused of racism and received threats after going public. Fiona Goddard, who was abused in Bradford in the late 2000s, said the city had “evaded inquiries for many years”. Conservative MP Robbie Moore called the decision a “significant turning point”.

London was selected partly because it has the highest rate of child sexual exploitation referrals. The inquiry will assess “the wider network of grooming gangs across London’s satellite towns and cities” and the capital’s role in the national network.

The inquiry team has identified over 800 recommendations related to grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation since the 1990s, noting “significant inconsistency” in their implementation. The third phase will investigate tech companies and the role of technology in child exploitation.

The inquiry was set up after Louise Casey’s rapid audit recommended both a national police operation and a national inquiry. Casey found that evidence of the disproportionate representation of Asian men exploiting white teenage girls “warrants further examination”. The government accepted all recommendations.

The first batch of reviewed cases has been referred back to police where lines of inquiry may have been missed. Operation Beaconport is examining cases from January 2010 to March 2025 under specific criteria. In November, 1,273 investigations were referred to the National Crime Agency, with 236 prioritised for rape allegations. Beaconport will receive nearly £38 million this year, up from £4 million last year, but police sources say this may fall short. Labour faces political pressure, with grooming gangs being a central issue for Reform UK.