❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Metropolitan Police is investigating only “tens of cases” related to child sex abuse gangs in London, despite identifying 9,000 historic cases weeks ago.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, and London Assembly members, including Susan Hall.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The update was provided during a London Assembly meeting on Thursday in London.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It is important for us to use precise language and consider its impact on victims and public understanding,” said Sir Mark Rowley.
🎯IMPACT: The investigation faces challenges due to the scale of cases, resource limitations, and the need for clarity in public discourse.
The Metropolitan Police in London, England, say they are currently pursuing only “tens of cases” in their large-scale review of historic child sex abuse, even though nearly 9,000 were initially flagged for potential reinvestigation. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told officials, including London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, that after examining 2,200 of those cases in detail, just 1,200 still fell within the parameters of the inquiry. However, he added that once all preliminary checks are completed, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 cases may ultimately qualify for renewed investigation.
Rowley urged caution in describing the review as a probe into “grooming gangs,” explaining that the national audit had used an expansive definition that included familial abuse, institutional failures, peer-on-peer exploitation, and online offending. Because of this wide scope, he warned that the public perception of grooming gangs does not necessarily align with the types of cases being examined. He stressed that the offenders reflect “the diversity of London’s population,” which is around two-thirds non-white.
“We do not see the typology reported elsewhere where there have been cases of offending committed by groups of Pakistani men on white British children being the sole or majority case,” he claimed.
Mayor Sadiq Khan also faced criticism over accusations that he downplayed grooming gang concerns and mocked victims by Conservative Susan Hall. “In January, I asked if we had grooming gangs in London. You dismissed my question by pretending you didn’t know what I meant,” Hall said.
Other investigations have described police and social services repeatedly missing opportunities to intervene, particularly in cases involving vulnerable white girls targeted by older South Asian men working in coordinated groups. Police and local officials feared being accused of racism, or damaging so-called “community relations.”
Police forces outside London have recently announced new arrests linked to historic grooming gang abuse, including a case in West Yorkshire in which 19 men were detained on suspicion of offences such as rape, sexual assault, and trafficking.
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