A government-commissioned audit finds the U.K. repeatedly failed to stop organized child sexual abuse. The report, led by Baroness Louise Casey, paints a bleak picture of how organized groups of men have repeatedly targeted vulnerable girls.
The report, released Monday, June 16, shows how these girls are often in state care or with disabilities and are sexually abused over long periods of time across various locations.
‘Grooming gangs’ audit
“Grooming gangs” is a term used in England and Wales to describe groups of offenders who exploit children for sexual purposes, often by offering them gifts or affection to gain their trust. However, the audit found that the term “gangs” may not accurately reflect the nature of these groups. Instead, the audit uses the phrase “group-based child sexual exploitation” but says it understates the actual severity of the crimes.
Baroness Casey said the failure to treat these children as victims rather than “troubled teens” allowed perpetrators to act without fear of being punished. The reality, it says, involves coordinated sexual assaults, gang rapes, forced abortions and lasting trauma. According to the report, many victims were criminalized for actions they took while being groomed or coerced.
The report found an estimated 500,000 children in England are likely to experience sexual abuse each year, though the majority of cases go unreported. In 2023, police recorded 17,100 offenses flagged as child sexual exploitation, but just 700 were identified as group-based. Nearly 80% of known victims were girls, most between the ages of 10 and 15. The audit states that most suspects were male; however, inconsistent reporting and data gathering leave gaps in what is believed to be the full scope of the problem.
How fear of racism contributes to lack of action
The audit criticized institutions for their reluctance to address sensitive issues such as ethnicity. While child sexual exploitation occurs across all backgrounds, local case data examined in the report showed a disproportionate number of suspects in some areas were men of Asian heritage. Yet, two-thirds of national police data does not record perpetrator ethnicity, making it impossible to assess the full picture. It’s that gap, Casey noted, that has allowed misinformation to flourish, fueling division and racism on one side, and denial or silence on the other.
In 2023, the British government pledged to combat gangs or groups that sexually exploit children through the release of more data. The government said they planned to have more information about the ethnicity of suspects so they can’t evade prosecution or justice. While some cases involved British-Pakistani men, broader data shows abusers come from varied backgrounds, and experts warn against linking ethnicity too strongly to these crimes.
Report calls on government to act
The report also highlighted flaws in how child sexual abuse is tracked across local authorities, the police and health services. Despite numerous reviews and inquiries since 2009, the same failures persist: poor data collection, inconsistent definitions and a lack of leadership. Some areas have made progress by treating group-based abuse as organized crime and providing targeted victim support.
Casey called for new legislation to remove legal “grey areas” around the age of consent and to automatically classify any adult and child sexual activity under the age of 16 as rape. She also urged the government to close licensing loopholes that allow for predatory behavior and sexual exploitation of children.
How is the British government responding to the report?
The government has pledged to confront group-based child sexual exploitation with sweeping reforms, accepting all 12 recommendations from Baroness Casey’s audit. This includes changing the law to ensure adults who sexually penetrate children under 16 are charged with rape, which will allow abusers to face serious charges.
The U.K. plans to establish a new national criminal operation led by the National Crime Agency. Hundreds of dropped cases are set to be reopened in coordination with police efforts across the country.
The government also plans to expunge unjust convictions of child victims, require the collection of ethnicity data in all abuse cases and enforce mandatory information sharing between agencies.
Broader reforms include upgrading police systems, treating child sexual exploitation as serious organized crime, reviewing child protection data, researching offender motivations, tightening taxi licensing laws and committing resources to ensure lasting change.
contributed to this report.