FEATURE


GROOMING GANGS INQUIRY: SYSTEMIC CHANGE NEEDED


As the UK government launches a long-overdue statutory inquiry into grooming gangs, Paul O’Rourke, Managing Director of Next Stage Group, discusses what the inquiry means for victims and shares insights from working with victims of the Rochdale grooming gangs.


In June, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a long-overdue national statutory inquiry into historical grooming gang abuse across the UK, a moment many victims and campaigners had been pleading for. The inquiry was sparked by a damning audit led by Baroness Louise Casey, which lays bare systemic failures by police and local agencies who, for years, looked away as children were exploited.


With the power to reopen more than 800 closed cases, this inquiry marks a step towards justice. Having worked with survivors of grooming gangs for more than two decades, including young people affected by the Rochdale case, I’ve seen firsthand the long- term impact of this kind of abuse. Inquiries are important, but they don’t go far enough. The trauma these young people carry isn’t something that can be captured in a report or headline; it’s something they live with every day.


What we need now is not just accountability but urgent, systemic action that tackles the root causes of abuse: poverty, lack of opportunity, neglect, family breakdown and the absence of stable, trusted adult support. Until we confront these uncomfortable truths, we will be failing the next generation just as badly as we failed the last.


THE TRAUMA OF NOT BEING HEARD


Many of the young people we support carry not only the trauma of exploitation but also the weight of being failed by those meant to protect them. They arrive in care withdrawn, hyper-vigilant states and are deeply mistrustful of adults, not just because of the abuse they endured, but because of the repeated failures of those meant to protect them.


For some, finding the strength to share what happened is a turning point. But all too oſten, their bravery is met with disbelief, delays, or case closures due to 'insufficient evidence.' We’ve seen survivors give detailed testimony, only to see perpetrators walk free or never face charges at all. This sends the devastating message that even when they risk everything to speak out, they may still not be believed or even protected. The trauma of not being heard can be just as damaging as the abuse itself.


FROM INQUIRY TO ACTION


We cannot allow this inquiry to be another exercise in retrospective accountability alone. If we are serious about protecting children, we need a systemic overhaul that addresses the root conditions that grooming gangs exploit, from neglect to unstable home environments. Many of these children are not just vulnerable,


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they are actively searching for safety and belonging. Predators recognise this and manipulate it with ruthless efficiency.


Protecting children from exploitation requires a joined-up approach between schools, social services, healthcare providers, and the criminal justice system. Too oſten, early warning signs, such as disengagement from education, sudden behavioural changes, or contact with unknown adults, are missed or viewed in isolation. Without effective communication between agencies, opportunities for early intervention slip through the cracks.


WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TO PREVENT GROOMING GANGS?


We need structural reform that not only brings abusers to justice but also actively prevents abuse before it begins. That means: • Embedding early intervention into local safeguarding practice. • Establishing clear communication protocols between schools, social care, housing, and police.


• Investing in trauma-informed, community-based support for at-risk children and families.


• Strengthening vetting and oversight of individuals working with vulnerable young people.


• Reforming the legal system to protect survivors from continued exposure to their abusers.


This inquiry must be the start of something far more ambitious. Above all, we must centre the voices of children, designing systems where they feel safe, supported, and believed.


Until we do, we are not only reflecting on historic failures – we are still living through them.


https://nextstageyd.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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