UK Police and Councils Accused of Concealing Grooming Gangs' Ethnicity
A recent national audit in the UK has uncovered troubling evidence that police forces and local councils deliberately concealed the Asian ethnicity of grooming gang perpetrators. This concealment was reportedly to avoid accusations of racism and to prevent stirring community tensions. The findings come from a report commissioned by the Prime Minister and led by Baroness Casey, published in June 2025.
Flawed Data and Underreporting Uncovered
The audit exposed significant gaps in official data collection. In two-thirds of the group-based child sexual exploitation cases, ethnicity data was not even recorded. This challenges a 2020 report from the Home Office which suggested that the majority of perpetrators were white—a conclusion now deemed flawed.
Upon reviewing detailed data from three police forces where ethnicity was noted, Baroness Casey’s team found that men of Asian ethnicity were disproportionately represented among the offenders. The report highlights the reluctance within official documents to openly discuss ethnicity or cultural factors, often using vague euphemisms like "the local community" or burying these details deep within lengthy reports.
Calls for Transparency and Mandatory Reporting
The report stresses that acknowledging and examining ethnicity in crimes is not racist but essential for understanding and prevention. Baroness Casey recommends making it mandatory for law enforcement to record the ethnicity and nationality of all suspects involved in grooming gang cases.
Further, the audit draws attention to the fact that victims are not exclusively from white communities. It emphasizes concerns about Sikh and Hindu children being particularly vulnerable due to cultural stigmas that discourage them from reporting abuse.
Recommendations for Reform
- National Crime Agency should lead investigations into grooming gangs.
- A nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs must be launched.
- Adults who have penetrative sex with children under 16 should always be charged with rape.
- Comprehensive governmental research into cultural factors driving exploitation is crucial.
These recommendations come after earlier resistance in Parliament, where Labour MPs had voted against holding a national inquiry. The Prime Minister initially criticized calls for inquiries as aligning with far-right agendas but dramatically reversed his position following the audit’s findings, pledging to implement all the report’s twelve recommendations.
Non-UK Nationals and Asylum Seekers Highlighted
The report also revealed that a significant number of grooming gang organizers currently involved in live cases are non-UK nationals and asylum seekers. In response, the Home Secretary announced a policy change: anyone convicted of sexual offenses will be excluded from the asylum system and denied refugee status.
Conclusion
The audit sheds light on a sensitive and complex issue, emphasizing the need for open dialogue and transparency in tackling child sexual exploitation. Moving forward, these reforms aim to ensure that cultural sensitivities do not obstruct justice and that vulnerable children across all communities receive the protection they deserve.
