Recent figures reveal grooming gangs commit nearly two child sex offences daily in England and Wales, sparking renewed outrage and calls for action
Oldham: So, it turns out grooming gangs are behind almost two child sexual abuse offences every day, according to some new data. This is the first time we’ve seen numbers like this, and it’s pretty shocking.
In 2023, police recorded 717 grooming crimes, and there were 572 in just the first nine months of 2024. That’s a lot of cases, and it’s got people talking.
This data comes from a new national police program aimed at tracking these crimes better. They’re finally looking into the ethnic backgrounds of the offenders, which is something that’s been missing for a while.
After a report by Alexis Jay pointed out how poorly data was being collected, the police decided to step up their game. They realized that without good data, it’s hard to have a real conversation about these issues.
Recently, there’s been a lot of anger over grooming gangs, especially after Labour blocked an inquiry into the whole situation. Sir Keir Starmer, who was in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service during the height of the scandal, is facing some serious backlash for this.
Now, here’s the kicker: about 3.7% of all child sexual abuse cases are linked to these “group-based” offences. That’s around 4,228 cases, and 717 of those are specifically from grooming gangs.
Interestingly, most of the offenders are white, but the police say the data isn’t perfect. They can only record ethnicity after they’ve interviewed suspects, so it’s a bit limited.
Richard Fewkes, who runs the Hydrant Programme, mentioned that the ethnic mix of offenders reflects the UK population overall. He stressed that police need to respond strongly to any child at risk, regardless of the offender’s background.
In the past, police were hesitant to act against certain groups due to fears of being labeled racist. But Fewkes insists that’s not the case anymore. They’re committed to protecting all children.
However, he also warned that focusing too much on grooming gangs might push other victims away from coming forward. If someone feels their situation isn’t a priority, they might not speak up.
Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, recently hinted that a specific inquiry into child grooming could happen if victims want it. But just last week, she didn’t support an inquiry into abuse in Oldham, which has stirred up more controversy.
With MPs voting against a national inquiry, tensions are rising, and it seems like this issue isn’t going away anytime soon.
