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The short version

  • The national inquiry chaired by Anne Longfield has announced targeted investigations into grooming gang activity in Wales and Birmingham.
  • Survivors express concern that expanding the geographic scope may dilute the thoroughness of existing probes in other regions like Oldham and Bradford.
  • The investigation will examine institutional failures, cross-border cooperation, and the role of ethnicity and culture in exploitation networks.

A statutory national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs has broadened its investigative reach, announcing that it will conduct specific local probes in Wales and Birmingham. The decision marks a significant expansion for the body, which was launched earlier this year under the chairmanship of former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield. While initial investigations were focused on Oldham, London, Bradford, and Keighley, the addition of these two new areas signals an attempt to address widespread concerns about institutional failures across different parts of the United Kingdom.

The inquiry possesses statutory powers to compel witnesses and obtain documents, allowing it to scrutinize what various agencies did or failed to do in protecting children. In Wales, the investigation will take a comprehensive approach, examining offending patterns across the entire country rather than focusing on a single municipality. This broad scope aims to assess safeguarding mechanisms, multi-agency responses, and the complexities of devolved governance arrangements. It also intends to evaluate how organizations in Wales coordinate with counterparts in England, particularly given the cross-border nature of some criminal networks.

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In Birmingham, the focus will initially center on the city itself, though investigators may extend their reach to surrounding satellite areas if evidence warrants it. The selection of Birmingham reflects a combination of factors, including survivor experiences, indications of harm prevalence, and public concern. Historical records indicate that police were aware of offenders targeting children at schools and care homes as early as 2010, with many perpetrators coming from the city’s Pakistani-heritage community. Local authorities have previously sought legal injunctions to prevent men from approaching underage girls, yet victims from other parts of the West Midlands have reportedly been trafficked into the city for abuse.

The expansion has drawn mixed reactions from survivors and advocates. While some welcome the inclusion of regions that have felt overlooked in national conversations, others worry about the practical implications of stretching the inquiry’s resources. Fiona Goddard, a survivor advocate, acknowledged the need to hear evidence from Birmingham and Wales but cautioned that the scale of the investigation must not compromise its depth. She noted that nearly a year into the process, progress has been slow, raising fears that adding new locations could further delay meaningful outcomes for those already waiting for answers.

Carly, a survivor who was groomed in Huddersfield, expressed skepticism about how an inquiry covering such vast and complex areas as Wales can be described as a deep dive. She questioned whether experiences from smaller towns would be adequately represented or if they might be diluted within a broader national narrative. These concerns highlight a tension between the desire for comprehensive accountability and the practical limitations of conducting thorough, localized investigations simultaneously across multiple regions.

A central theme running through all aspects of the inquiry is the role of ethnicity, religion, and culture in group-based exploitation. Previous audits by crossbench peer Louise Casey found that men from Asian ethnic backgrounds were overrepresented in police investigations into grooming gangs in parts of northern England. However, Casey noted that a lack of consistent data has made it difficult to draw accurate national conclusions. The inquiry aims to better understand these disparities to develop more effective strategies for prevention and intervention.

The investigation will also examine the evolving nature of exploitation, particularly how social media platforms have changed the landscape of grooming tactics. Frontline workers report that children are increasingly targeted by networks of perpetrators online, shifting the dynamic from traditional street-based grooming to digital environments. This technological dimension adds another layer of complexity to the inquiry’s mandate, requiring it to assess not only historical failures but also contemporary risks.

Running parallel to this statutory inquiry is Operation Beaconport, an investigation led by the National Crime Agency. The two bodies will operate independently but with overlapping interests in uncovering the truth about child sexual exploitation. Additionally, the inquiry has launched a national listening project to allow victims and their families to share the impact of the abuse they endured. This component aims to ensure that survivor voices remain central to the process, even as the scope of the investigation expands.

The decision to include Wales and Birmingham follows a period of political turbulence surrounding the inquiry’s establishment. It was announced by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in June 2025 after initial government reluctance to fund a statutory probe faced backlash from various quarters, including high-profile figures like Elon Musk. The eventual agreement came after recommendations from Louise Casey, who conducted an audit of the issue. As the inquiry moves forward, it faces the challenge of balancing breadth with depth, ensuring that each location receives the attention necessary to deliver justice and drive systemic change.

What comes next remains uncertain, as it is unclear whether further locations will be added to the roster. The inquiry has stated that areas are selected based on criteria such as how victims were treated when they came forward and whether opportunities to prevent harm were missed. With investigations already underway in several regions, the addition of Wales and Birmingham tests the body’s capacity to manage multiple complex cases without losing focus. For survivors across the UK, the hope is that this expanded scope will lead to greater accountability and improved protections for children in the future.

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