Secretary of State for the Home Department (): Today, I am announcing
the formal commencement of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming
Gangs.
The setting-up date of the Inquiry, as per section 5 of the
Inquiries Act 2005, is 13 April 2026.
The Inquiry will confront one of the darkest periods in our
country's history, where the most vulnerable people were abused
and let down by those meant to protect them. I am committed to
delivering the truth, accountability and reform that victims and
survivors deserve and expect.
On 9 December 2025, I updated the House on the publication of the
draft Terms of Reference for the Independent Inquiry into
Grooming Gangs. Given the importance of getting this right, I
asked the Chair and Panel of the Inquiry to undertake a period of
consultation, including with victims and survivors of these
crimes, before returning their views to me for agreement on the
final Terms of Reference.
The final Terms of Reference for the Independent Inquiry into
Grooming Gangs were published on Gov.UK on Tuesday 31 March. This
upheld our previous commitment to agree a Terms of Reference by
the end of March. The interval between publication and formal
commencement reflects the timing of Parliamentary recess.
The Terms were agreed with the Chair and Panel following a period
of consultation. This included an online open consultation, which
received over 25,000 responses, direct engagement with victims
and survivors across England and Wales and engagement with
Parliamentarians. I would like to place on record my thanks to
the Chair of the Inquiry, Baroness CBE, and the panel, CBE and Eleanor Kelly CBE, for their work in
leading this consultation.
The Terms of Reference have been shaped by the testimony,
priorities and lived experience of victims and survivors and make
clear that their experiences will continue to guide the Inquiry's
work throughout. I would like to pay tribute to their involvement
and tireless campaigning to ensure we right the wrongs of the
past and ensure evil perpetrators of these crimes have nowhere to
hide.
The Inquiry is time-limited for 3 years, supported by a £65
million budget, to help ensure that justice is delivered swiftly
for those who have already waited too long for answers. Its
initial phase will focus on identifying priority areas for
investigation, before undertaking targeted local investigations
alongside a national-level review of the findings of those
investigations. The criteria used to select local areas will be
agreed between the Government and the Inquiry within three months
of the formal setting-up date.
The Inquiry will examine systemic, institutional and individual
failures, making recommendations for improvement at both national
and local levels, as appropriate. The Inquiry will be laser
focused on grooming gangs and will explicitly examine the role
ethnicity, religion and culture played in these crimes. It will
seek to hold individuals, institutions and statutory services
responsible to account for any failures.
With a national remit across England and Wales, the Inquiry will
work closely with the national police operation into group-based
child sexual exploitation and abuse, Operation Beaconport,
overseen by the National Crime Agency. As set out in the Terms of
Reference, where criminal allegations and evidence are identified
by the Inquiry, this will be referred to law enforcement.
The Government accepted all 12 recommendations in Baroness
Casey's National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation
and Abuse. The Government remains fully committed to implementing
these recommendations and to driving forward broader action to
tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Government is clear that this Inquiry must deliver truth,
accountability, and meaningful reform so that the injustices
suffered by victims and survivors are not repeated and children
are better protected in every community in future.
I recognise the longstanding interest from Parliamentarians in
this work. The Inquiry has committed to publishing their findings
regularly and I remain committed to keeping Parliament informed
as the Inquiry progresses.
