Gang-rape, torture cases made UK PM take U-turn on grooming gangs

After months of mounting criticism over inaction, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has finally launched a national enquiry into grooming gang crimes, marking a major policy U-turn for the Labour government. The move comes in response to widespread public outrage, a damning institutional review, and escalating pressure from campaigners, opposition politicians, and prominent figures, including Elon Musk.

Grooming gangs became a national scandal in the UK in the late 1990s, with horrifying cases emerging in towns like Rotherham and Rochdale. Vulnerable white girls, many underage, were targeted, groomed by young Muslim men, and then passed on to older abusers posing as boyfriends.

What followed were brutal gang-rapes, threats, and years of systemic neglect by authorities. These grooming gangs operated with impunity for decades, while victims were silenced, disbelieved, or ignored.

WHY STARMER RESISTED CALLS FOR A NATIONAL ENQUIRY

Initially, Starmer resisted calls for a new national enquiry, arguing that it would delay justice and repeat existing work.

In some instances, the ethnicity of perpetrators became a problem, fearing accusations of racism, effectively obscuring patterns of group-based exploitation.

In January, Tory MPs tried to force a parliamentary vote on establishing such an enquiry, only to be blocked when Labour MPs voted it down.

Labour backbencher Dan Carden was the first from the party to break ranks, calling on Starmer to "use the full power of the state."

Officials told the BBC the ultimate goal is not only to bring more perpetrators to justice but also to confront a deeply-rooted “culture of denial.”

But now, the Labour Party under Starmer has called for an enquiry.

Under growing pressure from inside and outside Westminster, he changed course. Speaking at the G7 summit, the UK Prime Minister said he had read “every word” of the Casey report and had come to the conclusion that deeper action was unavoidable.

MORE THAN 800 GROOMING GANG CASES TO BE PROBED

At the heart of this decision is a rapid review by Member of the House of Lords, Baroness Louise Casey, commissioned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, which concluded that previous efforts were woefully inadequate and a new, full-scale investigation was urgently needed.

Casey’s report exposed disturbing systemic failures across councils, police forces, and local leadership. Vulnerable girls, often underage, were drugged, raped, and in some cases even burned. Yet many authorities failed to see them as victims. Complaints were ignored, investigations mishandled, and repeated warnings went unheeded.

The enquiry will examine more than 800 historical grooming gang cases and is expected to recommend sweeping reforms.

These may include tightening rape laws, introducing stricter consent standards, strengthening safeguarding frameworks, and mandating the collection of ethnicity data to avoid institutional blind spots.

'LONG OVERDUE RECKONING WITH TRUTH': HOME SECRETARY

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the new enquiry as a long-overdue reckoning with the truth. "Not enough people listened to survivors. That was wrong and unforgivable. We are changing that now," she said.

The Labour Party had previously argued that years of existing investigations, including the major enquiry led by Professor Alexis Jay, had already exposed serious failings.

But Starmer appointed Casey earlier this year to review the need for further action. Now, all of her recommendations have been accepted.

The new enquiry will be chaired by an independent figure with full statutory authority.

Alongside this, the Crime Agency-led crackdown will run in parallel, re-examining prematurely closed cases, tracking down offenders, and helping police forces overhaul how they handle child sexual exploitation.

ACTING TOO LATE: NIGEL FARAGE

Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the Labour Party’s shift in position, saying the prime minister had taken time to ensure the right course of action.

"This is about justice, not grandstanding," said Reeves. When asked if the Labour Party would apologise to campaigners it had previously dismissed, Reeves said, "The most important thing here is the victims. Not people’s hurt feelings."

Still, the U-turn has drawn fire.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed the move but accused Labour Party of acting too late.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch went further, calling on Starmer to apologise for "six wasted months".