“Stop politicising grooming gangs,” warns child abuse advocate

A key consultant to the country’s biggest inquiry into child sex abuse has dismissed the need for a fresh inquiry into grooming gangs warning it could delay meaningful action, re-traumatise survivors, and mislead the public about the realities of child sexual exploitation.Lucy Duckworth, Policy Advisor to the The Survivors Trust who helped oversee the country’s largest inquiry into child sex abuse, the Indpendent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse – IICA – said the government urgently needed to implement the recommendations of the existing inquiry rather than diverting resources to another investigation.Her comments came as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a new national-level “rapid audit” of grooming gangs as well as up to five new local inquiries.

Speaking in response to recent political debates and high-profile comments—including from and UK politicians—Ms Duckworth, a policy advisor at the Survivors Trust, addressed what she believes is a rising tide of ‘misinformation’ in the public discourse, which she said is harming survivors and undermining efforts to tackle the problem effectively.

“There’s been a lot of confusion around the terminology,” she said. “When we talk about grooming gangs, we’re referring to organised networks of two or more adults working together to exploit children. This is very different from individual cases of child sexual abuse, but these distinctions are often lost in public debates.”Calls for another inquiry have centered on alleged links between grooming gangs and specific ethnic groups, a narrative Ms Duckworth strongly contested. “The truth is, we don’t have the data to say that any one group is more likely to commit these crimes,” she said. “Organised networks exist across all institutions—churches, schools, care homes—and they cross all demographics. This crime is pervasive and needs to be addressed as such.”Ms Duckworth was a consultant to seven year, 180 million pound Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, led by Professor Alexis Jay, which investigated systemic failures prosecuting alleged perpetrators and protecting victims from abuse.It produced a report that outlined 20 key recommendations. Ms Duckworth stressed that these recommendations, if implemented, could dramatically reduce child sexual exploitation.

“One of the inquiry’s recommendations is mandatory reporting—making it a legal requirement for officials in regulated activities to report suspected abuse. The Labour government has recently said it plans to put this into action. This alone could save lives,” she said. “The inquiry also called for better data collection to identify patterns of abuse. Without this, we can’t even begin to understand the scale of the problem, let alone address it.”Despite these recommendations, Ms Duckworth noted that little action has been taken by the government. “The government said it would implement 19 of our 20 recommendations, but progress has stalled. Meanwhile, political grandstanding about new inquiries detracts from the real work that needs to be done.”The debate around grooming gangs has been highly debated in recent weeks, with Home Secretary Kemi Badenoch and high-profile figures like weighing in. In Parliament, the issue has sparked heated exchanges, while ’s comments calling for action against grooming gangs further inflamed tensions.

Ms Duckworth warned the politicisation is causing harm to survivors. “Survivors have had the courage to share their stories, often at great personal cost. They deserve action, not endless debates or token gestures,” she said. “The rhetoric around race and ethnicity risks victim-blaming and discourages others from coming forward. It’s not just unhelpful—it’s dangerous.”

She added, “We’ve already looked at these issues. The inquiry found that police and social services sometimes hesitated to act for fear of being labeled racist. But the answer isn’t another inquiry—it’s better training, education, and accountability.”Ms Duckworth was clear that a new inquiry would be a costly distraction that would solve nothing. She said: “Our seven-year statutory inquiry had the power to demand evidence, and we still hit a wall on certain issues, like identifying the ethnicity of perpetrators. Many cases simply weren’t recorded properly, and even when they were, key details like ethnicity were often missing. A new inquiry won’t fix this—it will just delay the implementation of solutions we already know are needed.”Instead of focusing on a new inquiry, Duckworth called for immediate steps to implement the IICSA recommendations. She advocated for the creation of a Child Protection Authority, which would oversee the welfare of children across departments and ensure better coordination between agencies.”We’re one of the few Western countries without a cabinet-level minister for children. That’s a tragedy,” she said. “A Child Protection Authority could bridge the gaps between education, health, social services, and justice to ensure no child falls through the cracks.”

Ms Duckworth also emphasised the need for cultural change. “Police need specific training on working with survivors and identifying exploitation. We need to make reporting abuse a routine part of daily life. If people feel safe and supported, they’ll come forward. That’s how we stop these crimes—not by chasing sensational headlines.”She urged the public and politicians alike to focus on the bigger picture. “This crime affects every area of society. Whether it’s a council-run care home, a church, or a middle-class family, child sexual exploitation knows no boundaries. Focusing on race or specific communities misses the point entirely.”And she said there was an immediate need for urgency and cooperation. “We have 500,000 children being sexually exploited every year. Politicising this issue or using it to score points is an insult to those children and the survivors who have already shared their stories. Let’s honour their bravery by taking real action—implementing the recommendations we already have and working together to protect the most vulnerable.”Yvette Cooper’s new independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs, announced last week will be led by Baroness Louise Casey. Ms Cooper says the work will aim to restore public confidence in how such cases are handled and examine the “cultural and societal drivers” of child exploitationAs part of the plan, more victims will be able to request their cases are re-examined.The inquiry will also examine ethnicity data and the demographics of the gangs involved and their victims, Ms Cooper said.She added: “Effective local inquiries can deliver more answers and change than a lengthy nationwide inquiry.”

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised by this article you can call the Survivors Trust confidential helpline 0808 801 0818 or text 07860 022 956