Evil grooming gangs who target children and young women will be
stamped out under new plans unveiled by Prime Minister today (Monday 3 April).
A new Grooming Gangs Taskforce will see specialist officers
parachuted in to assist police forces with live child sexual
exploitation and grooming investigations to bring more of these
despicable criminals to justice.
Led by the police and supported by the National Crime Agency, the
taskforce will be made up of officers with extensive experience
of undertaking grooming gang investigations. They will provide
crucial support to forces across the country to root out grooming
gangs and put more perpetrators behind bars.
Data analysts will work alongside the taskforce using cutting
edge data and intelligence to identify the types of criminals who
carry out these offences, helping police forces across the
country catch offenders who might otherwise be missed. This will
also include police recorded ethnicity data to make sure suspects
cannot evade justice because of cultural sensitivities.
This will include better data on the make-up of grooming gangs,
including ethnicity, to make sure suspects cannot hide behind
cultural sensitivities as a way to evade justice.
The Prime Minister will launch the taskforce later today. To mark
this, he will be in Leeds and Greater Manchester to meet
survivors, local police partners and members of the new
taskforce.
Speaking ahead of this, Prime Minister said:
“The safety of women and girls is paramount. For too long,
political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile
criminals who prey on children and young women. We will stop at
nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs.”
Alongside the new taskforce, the Prime Minister has pledged to
make sure grooming gang members and their ring leaders receive
the toughest possible sentences.
Legislation will be introduced to make being the leader of or
involved in a grooming gang a statutory aggravating factor during
sentencing. This reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment
to make sure these offenders face the toughest sentences for
their crimes and the longest time behind bars.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, , said:
“Grooming gangs are a scourge on our society and I want to send a
clear message to anyone who exploits vulnerable children that
they will face the full weight of the law.
“This builds on the extensive action this Government has already
taken to introduce tougher sentencing, and the reforms
introduced last week in the Victims and Prisoners Bill to keep
the most dangerous offenders behind bars, while making sure
victims get the support they need at all times.”
Today’s announcement follows on from the Home Secretary’s
commitment to bring in mandatory reporting for adults working
with children if they suspect or identify that child is being
abused. By ensuring people speak out if they have concerns,
authorities can stop the abuse, put perpetrators behind bars and
get victims the support they need much sooner.
Mandatory Reporting was one the key recommendations in the
important Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which gave
a voice to thousands of courageous survivors. Today’s
announcement shows how seriously the Government is taking the
Inquiry’s recommendations.
Speaking in response to the Government’s announcement on
mandatory reporting, Professor Alexis Jay OBE, Chair of the
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, and Author,
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham,
said:
“The Prime Minister’s statement today places a renewed focus on
tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by
organised networks. I welcome these announcements, some of which
reflect the recommendations of the Inquiry’s own report on child
sexual exploitation in 2022. The commitment to Mandatory
Reporting is very encouraging, and I look forward to working with
the Government to ensure that the full package of the Inquiry’s
recommendations in its Final Report is taken forward to better
protect children from sexual abuse in the future.”
Home Secretary said:
“Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific crimes facing our
society, it devastates victims, families and whole communities.
“The protection of children is a collective effort. Every adult
must be supported to call out child sexual abuse without fear.
“And the despicable abusers must be brought to justice. They
should not be able to hide. And they must face the full force of
the law for their crimes.
“That’s why I’m introducing a mandatory reporting duty and
launching a call for evidence. We must address the failures
identified by the Inquiry and take on board the views of the
thousands of victims and survivors who contributed to its
findings.
“I would encourage everyone to engage with the process once it
starts – it is important to have a national conversation about
this to shine a light on this terrible – but too often hidden –
crime.”
Alongside the mandatory reporting duty, we are bolstering support
for the NSPCC’s whistleblowing helpline, as well as their public
helpline, giving professionals and members of the public a voice
to raise concerns about children, or about child grooming in
their community.
