Met Police reviewing 9,000 grooming cases

"The cases are being re-examined following a national review into group-based child sexual exploitation which found it was more widespread, organised, and underreported than previously acknowledged. The force said it took all "allegations or concerns about child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation incredibly seriously". Baroness Casey's report, the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, also found a "mismatch" in the way the way the Metropolitan Police and local authorities record child abuse."

"Since 2022, there have been significant improvements to how the Met identifies and investigates group-based offending, including training for 11,000 frontline officers and the expansion of our child exploitation teams. In the last year we have solved three times more cases of child sexual exploitation representing 134 more suspects charged. Our commitment to safeguarding all victims of such terrible offences and bringing those responsible to justice is absolute."

"Nine thousand cases of child sexual exploitation are being reviewed by the Metropolitan Police, the force has confirmed. In a statement, the Met said it was reinvestigating the cases which involve "intra-familial, peer-on-peer and in institutional settings, along with those which do not fit the common understanding of a 'grooming gang'". The cases the force is now reviewing cover a 15-year period, which the Met said was the same time period covered by Baroness Casey's report."

The Metropolitan Police is reviewing 9,000 child sexual exploitation cases covering a 15-year period. The reinvestigation addresses intra-familial, peer-on-peer, institutional cases, and incidents not fitting the 'grooming gang' label. The review follows a national audit that found group-based child sexual exploitation to be more widespread, organised, and underreported than previously acknowledged and identified recording mismatches between the Met and local authorities. Baroness Casey's audit also noted that authorities had avoided recording ethnicity of those involved. Since 2022 the Met has expanded child exploitation teams, trained 11,000 frontline officers, and solved three times more cases, charging 134 additional suspects.

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