Starmer Announces Inquiry into Child Grooming Gangs

Keir Starmer has launched a national operation to investigate grooming gangs and a statutory inquiry into institutional failure, in a significant reversal after months of pressure on Labour to act.

- Aletha Adu

The National Crime Agency (NCA), the UK's top investigative body, has been tasked with leading a coordinated national operation to reopen historical group-based child sexual abuse cases and identify offenders who were missed under previous police investigations.

The operation will also aim to "put vile criminals behind bars" and bring justice to victims whose cases were not progressed through the justice system, according to officials.

More than 800 such cases have already been reopened since January. Officials say the aim now is to scale that up – combining forces across regional police, specialist exploitation teams and national units such as Operation Hydrant.

The Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce and the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme will work in partnership to strengthen local investigations and improve police handling of abuse cases.

This coincides with the formal launch of a statutory public inquiry, with powers to compel witnesses and direct local investigations, after a rapid review by Louise Casey concluded it was necessary.

The inquiry will scrutinise how institutions – including local councils, police forces and elected officials – failed vulnerable girls across the country, with a specific focus on mishandled or ignored complaints.