UK grooming gangs inquiry

The grooming gangs inquiry is a critical safeguarding moment for child protection in England and Wales.

Freedom Charity believes the focus must remain on children, victims and survivors. Public debate can quickly become political. Safeguarding, however, must stay clear, calm and child-centred.

Recent developments have renewed attention on the inquiry, local investigations, public accountability hearings and the long-term safety of victims and survivors. In addition, media reports about the release of Shabir Ahmed, linked to the Rochdale child sexual exploitation case, have raised serious concern about offender management, victim communication, deportation where legally possible, licence conditions and public protection.

For many survivors, news like this can reopen trauma. It may also raise fears about safety, support and whether the criminal justice system truly understands long-term harm.

Safeguarding does not end when a court case concludes. Children need protection before abuse happens. Victims need support during investigations. Survivors need care, respect and safety long after sentencing.

Freedom Charity will continue to monitor the grooming gangs inquiry and advocate for stronger prevention, earlier intervention and better professional training.

What is the grooming gangs inquiry?

This statutory inquiry examines group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.

On 31 March 2026, the Home Office published the inquiry’s Terms of Reference. Government established the inquiry after Baroness Louise Casey’s National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which called for a targeted inquiry into failures or obstruction by statutory services in relevant local areas.

Its work will examine how perpetrators targeted children, how institutions responded, and why services failed to protect children. Crucially, it will also consider whether earlier recommendations were ignored, delayed or put into practice poorly.

Services failed many victims who needed protection. Therefore, the inquiry must be more than a review of the past. It must become a route to safer practice now.

What is happening now?

Initial local investigations have been announced for Oldham, Bradford and Keighley, and London.

Each local investigation will examine what happened in that area. It will look at how grooming gangs operated, what institutions knew, how professionals responded, and whether agencies missed opportunities to prevent harm.

National public accountability hearings are expected before the end of 2026. Those hearings will examine how institutions and services responded to grooming gangs and why previous recommendations did not lead to consistent change.

A Victims and Survivors Charter has also been published. This matters because survivors should not feel like witnesses to a process that happens around them. Instead, they must be heard, supported and respected throughout it.

Why this matters for child protection

Child sexual exploitation is child abuse.

It can involve gifts, attention, alcohol, drugs, threats, violence, blackmail, online grooming, trafficking and emotional control. Some children may not recognise exploitation. Others may feel too frightened, ashamed or controlled to speak.

Abusers often target vulnerability. They may look for children who feel isolated, unsafe, unloved, unheard or dependent on adult attention.

No child is responsible for their own exploitation. Responsibility always sits with the abuser and with the systems that must protect children.

How grooming can happen

Grooming is rarely one single act. Usually, it is a process.

An abuser may first create trust. After that, they may offer gifts, attention, transport, money, alcohol, drugs, affection or a sense of belonging. Later, control can increase through secrecy, fear, debt, shame, threats or violence.

Some children are made to believe they are in a relationship. Others are told no one will believe them. Offenders may threaten harm to the child, friends, siblings or family members.

Online grooming can move quickly. For example, offenders can use social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms and private groups to contact, manipulate and control children.

Digital evidence may matter. However, safety comes first. Parents, carers and professionals should not confront suspected offenders themselves.

Warning signs of child sexual exploitation

A child may be at risk if they:

go missing from home, care or school
receive unexplained gifts, money, clothes or phones
have older friends or unknown adults in their life
appear frightened, withdrawn or controlled
change behaviour, appearance or friendship groups suddenly
use drugs or alcohol
are collected by unknown adults or taxis
have unexplained injuries
become secretive online
show signs of sexual trauma
stop attending school or activities
appear anxious about a person, place or vehicle
have repeated sexually transmitted infections
avoid professionals or trusted adults
seem afraid of consequences if they tell the truth

One sign alone may not prove exploitation. Several concerns together should trigger urgent safeguarding action.

What to do if you are worried about a child

Trust your concern.

Call 999 if a child is in immediate danger.

Where there is a safeguarding concern, contact local authority children’s services, the police or the designated safeguarding lead at the child’s school or organisation.

Do not confront a suspected offender yourself. This may increase risk, frighten the child or affect evidence.

Listen calmly if a child speaks to you. Reassure them that they are not to blame.

Avoid making promises you cannot keep, especially about secrecy. Instead, explain that you may need to share information to help keep them safe.

Record what the child says using their own words where possible. Then report the concern through the correct safeguarding route.

Why victims may not disclose abuse

Many victims do not tell someone straight away.

Fear can silence a child. Shame can make them feel responsible. Trauma can affect memory, behaviour and trust.

A child may return to an abuser because they feel controlled, threatened, dependent or trapped. That does not mean they are safe. It does not mean they consented.

Professionals must understand trauma. Behaviour that looks confusing to adults may be a survival response from a child who has experienced manipulation or harm.

What professionals must learn

The grooming gangs inquiry must lead to better safeguarding practice, not just public debate.

Teachers, police officers, social workers, health professionals, youth workers and community organisations all need confidence to act. No professional should dismiss concern because a child appears “difficult”, “streetwise” or “consenting”.

A child cannot consent to exploitation.

Professionals must use curiosity, not judgement. They should ask what has happened to a child, not what is wrong with them.

Strong safeguarding also requires cultural competence. Abuse must never be excused by reference to culture, religion or community. At the same time, whole communities must not be blamed for the crimes of offenders.

Evidence must guide action. Denial harms children. Prejudice harms children too.

The focus must stay on perpetrators, victims and institutional responsibility.

Why institutions failed children

Previous cases exposed serious institutional failures.

Some agencies did not believe victims. Others blamed, dismissed or treated children as if they had made lifestyle choices. In some areas, professionals failed to share information or act on patterns of risk.

Fear of difficult conversations also played a role. Safeguarding professionals must be able to discuss race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender and power honestly without stereotyping communities or ignoring evidence.

Both denial and prejudice harm children.

The test is simple. Adults must name abuse clearly, follow evidence, protect victims and pursue offenders.

Freedom Charity’s position

Freedom Charity believes every child has the right to safety, dignity and protection.

The grooming gangs inquiry must keep victims and survivors at its centre. Political arguments must not drown out the voices of children who were abused, ignored or disbelieved.

Prevention matters. Schools, professionals and communities need clear education about grooming, coercion, exploitation, consent and abuse.

Early intervention saves lives. Training gives professionals the confidence to recognise risk and act before harm becomes entrenched.

No child should ever be left unprotected because adults were afraid to ask difficult questions.

“A child’s safety must never depend on adult comfort. Protection begins when professionals choose courage over silence.”
Aneeta Prem MBE, Founder of Freedom Charity

Related Freedom Charity support

Freedom Charity provides education, safeguarding information and support on abuse, coercion and exploitation.

Related support includes:

forced marriage information
FGM awareness and prevention
dishonour abuse support
safeguarding training for schools and professionals
Freedom Charity helpline
PSHE education resources
Freedom Charity app

Frequently asked questions

What is child sexual exploitation?

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It happens when someone manipulates, coerces, forces or deceives a child into sexual activity.

What is grooming?

Grooming is a process used by abusers to gain trust, create dependence and increase control. It may involve gifts, attention, secrecy, threats, fear or emotional manipulation.

What is a grooming gang?

People commonly use the term to describe groups of offenders who sexually exploit children. Safeguarding should remain focused on the abuse, the victims and the systems that failed to protect them.

Can a child consent to exploitation?

No. A child cannot consent to being abused or exploited.

Can exploitation happen online?

Yes. Grooming and exploitation can happen through social media, gaming platforms, messaging apps, image sharing and other digital spaces.

Why do victims sometimes return to abusers?

Fear, shame, trauma, threats, emotional control and lack of safe alternatives can all affect behaviour. Returning to an abuser does not mean a child is safe or consenting.

What should a teacher do if they suspect grooming?

A teacher should follow safeguarding procedures immediately and speak to the designated safeguarding lead. If a child is in immediate danger, emergency services should be contacted.

What should parents do if they are worried?

Parents should stay calm, avoid blaming the child and seek help. Concerns can be raised with the police, local authority children’s services, the school safeguarding lead, the NSPCC or a specialist support service.

Where can victims get help?

Victims and survivors can seek help from the police, children’s services, specialist sexual violence services, safeguarding teams and trusted professionals.

Final message

The grooming gangs inquiry must lead to action.

Children need adults who notice, listen and act. Survivors need justice, support and respect. Professionals need training, courage and clear safeguarding systems.

The test is not whether the country can express outrage. Real change is measured by whether every child is safer because adults finally acted.