A new report by Baroness Louise Casey reveals a systemic failure to address the ethnicity of perpetrators in grooming gang cases in England and Wales.
Commissioned to audit the scale and nature of group-based child sexual abuse, Baroness Casey found that ethnicity data is missing for two-thirds of perpetrators, hindering a robust national-level analysis.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a formal apology to victims, concurrently announcing a new national inquiry into grooming gangs.
Baroness Casey’s report highlights a societal debt owed to victims, emphasizing the unacceptable suffering endured.
The report notes that while national data is insufficient, analysis of three police forces (Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire) reveals a disproportionate number of suspects from Asian ethnic backgrounds in group-based child sexual exploitation cases.
Ms. Cooper stressed the dangers of ignoring this issue, stating that avoiding the topic allows the crimes of a minority to be used to marginalize entire communities.
Lady Casey further emphasized the importance of data collection, arguing that its absence shields perpetrators and harms both victims and the communities unfairly associated with the crime.
The report concludes that fear of appearing racist led organizations to ignore abuse, failing to adequately grasp the problem’s scale.
The audit criticizes the authorities’ failure to understand the issue’s depth, suggesting that timely action, including data collection and appropriate victim treatment, could have prevented the current situation.
In a BBC Newsnight interview, Baroness Casey expressed anger on behalf of the victims.
The government pledged to implement all twelve of the report’s recommendations, including treating children as children, irrespective of their perceived involvement, and addressing the downgrading of rape charges.
The report defines “group-based child exploitation” as the coercion and manipulation of children into sexual acts by multiple perpetrators, often involving grooming, drugs, alcohol, and violence.
The report details a typical grooming gang model involving the targeting of vulnerable children and their subsequent exploitation by multiple men.
The use of taxis to transport victims and the high frequency of disappearances are also highlighted, along with cases of victims having children with their abusers.
The audit notes that despite numerous past initiatives, many victims were ignored or treated as criminals.
Fiona Goddard, a survivor, confirmed that the majority of her abusers were Pakistani men, emphasizing that the crime was enabled by both the perpetrators’ ethnicity and the victims’ vulnerabilities.
A nationwide operation led by the NCA will target past unprosecuted cases, working in conjunction with local police forces.
Downing Street announced a full national statutory inquiry to investigate the failures of local agencies in protecting young girls.
This inquiry will hold legal power to compel witness testimony.
Baroness Casey advocates for a renewed commitment to child protection.
The audit comprehensively examines child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs.
She defends the Prime Minister against criticism for resisting earlier calls for a national inquiry.
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