UK child grooming investigations reveal systemic failures and ongoing concerns

In recent years, multiple investigations have revealed extensive child grooming cases in the UK. Key events include the 2014 report by Professor Alexis Jay, which highlighted the sexual exploitation of over 1,400 children in Rotherham from 1997 to 2013. In 2022, reports confirmed significant failures by police and councils in Oldham and Telford to protect children from grooming gangs. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its final report in October, describing the issue as an epidemic with systemic failures in addressing child exploitation. In 2023, Home Secretary Suella Braverman faced backlash for her comments linking grooming gangs to British Pakistani men. A January 2024 report criticized police and council leaders in Rochdale for neglecting the safety of vulnerable girls from 2004 to 2013.