The UK government has unveiled a sweeping initiative to tackle grooming gangs accused of sexually exploiting thousands of girls and young women across the country.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced in Parliament that adults who engage in penetrative sex with children under 16 will now face the most serious charge of rape. The move comes as part of a broader nationwide crackdown.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Sunday that a national inquiry would be launched — one of the 12 key recommendations in a new report by Baroness Louise Casey, a member of the House of Lords.
“The report concludes that local investigations are still needed, but they must be guided by a national commission with the power to compel witnesses,” Cooper said. “We agree, and we will establish such an inquiry.”
The report revealed a major data gap, noting that ethnicity is still unrecorded for two-thirds of suspected perpetrators, limiting the accuracy of national statistics. Cooper, however, acknowledged that Asian men — particularly of Pakistani descent — are disproportionately represented in grooming cases. Going forward, authorities will be required to record both the ethnicity and nationality of suspects.
The issue gained global attention earlier this year when tech billionaire Elon Musk criticized the UK government on X (formerly Twitter) for its previous reluctance to launch a national inquiry.
Grooming gangs have operated in several cities including Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, and Bristol, preying mostly on white girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, some in foster care, over nearly four decades.
