An independent statutory inquiry into grooming gangs will now conduct local investigations in Birmingham and across Wales, it was announced Wednesday. Led by former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield, the inquiry holds the legal power to compel witnesses and obtain documents to determine how agencies and individuals failed to protect children from sexual abuse.
Expansion of Local Investigations
The inquiry, established under the Inquiries Act 2005, is expanding its scope to address long-standing concerns regarding child sexual exploitation in specific regions. While the inquiry previously announced investigations into Oldham, London, Bradford, and Keighley in June, the inclusion of Birmingham and a national strand for Wales marks a shift in its geographic reach.
In Birmingham, the investigation will initially center on the city but may expand to satellite areas as evidence dictates. Historical police documents from 2010 previously indicated that offenders targeted children at schools and homes within the city, leading to landmark injunctions in 2014 aimed at preventing contact with underage girls.
The Welsh investigation will examine exploitation across the country, focusing on multi-agency responses and cross-border cooperation between Welsh and English organizations. Amy Clowrey, a director at Switalskis solicitors, noted that survivors in Wales have long felt their experiences were overlooked in national conversations. This move follows recent legal action in the region, including the imprisonment of four men last week for abusing teenage girls in Rhyl, Denbighshire.
Did You Know?
Did You Know? The national inquiry was established following a 2025 audit by crossbench peer Louise Casey, which identified serious and repeated failures to protect children from organized sexual abuse. The inquiry has been tasked with reviewing the progress of more than 800 recommendations made by previous investigations into grooming gangs that were never fully implemented.
National Accountability and Future Oversight
The inquiry will run parallel to Operation Beaconport, a separate ongoing investigation led by the National Crime Agency. A central pillar of the inquiry’s work involves a “national listening project,” designed to allow victims and their families to formally document the impact of the abuse they experienced. The inquiry will also scrutinize the role of “ethnicity, religion and culture” in gang-based exploitation, building on Lady Casey’s findings that men of Asian and Pakistani ethnicity were disproportionately represented in police investigations in parts of northern England.
As the inquiry moves forward, investigators are expected to evaluate how agencies respond to the evolving nature of “street grooming” and the increasing use of social media platforms by perpetrator networks. Public National Accountability Hearings are scheduled to begin at the end of this year, where national organizations will be required to explain their past actions and the efficacy of their safeguarding policies.
Statutory powers and reasons for the inquiry established after 2025 audit
What powers does the inquiry possess? The inquiry is a statutory body under the Inquiries Act 2005, giving it the authority to compel witnesses to provide testimony and to demand the production of internal documents from relevant agencies.
Why was the inquiry established? It was formed following a 2025 audit by Louise Casey, which confirmed that institutions tasked with child protection had frequently failed to prevent organized sexual abuse and had often neglected to implement recommendations from previous, smaller-scale reviews.
How will the inquiry address previous findings? The inquiry will revisit areas where investigations have already occurred—such as Telford, Rochdale, Oxford, and Rotherham—to determine whether local agencies have adequately addressed the recommendations issued by those prior investigations.
What resources are available for those affected? In the UK, the NSPCC provides support for children at 0800 1111 and for adults concerned about a child at 0808 800 5000. Adult survivors can contact the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) at 0808 801 0331.
Do you believe these local investigations will lead to permanent changes in how agencies protect vulnerable children?
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