The Metropolitan Police will review approximately 9,000 child sexual exploitation cases spanning a 15-year period. The comprehensive examination follows recommendations from Baroness Louise Casey's national review into the scale of grooming gangs across Britain.
The force emphasised that many of the cases under review do not match the typical understanding of grooming gang offending. Instead, they encompass a broader range of exploitation scenarios that require careful examination.
Scope of cases under review
The 9,000 cases include incidents within families, peer-on-peer abuse, and exploitation occurring in institutional settings. These diverse categories reflect the complex nature of child sexual exploitation beyond traditional grooming gang models.
A Met Police spokesperson said: "Any sexual offending against children is abhorrent but group-based offending, often characterised as 'grooming gangs', is particularly insidious and devastating in its profound impact on the children affected."
Force improvements since 2022
The Metropolitan Police has implemented significant changes to how it identifies and investigates group-based offending since 2022. These improvements include comprehensive training for 11,000 frontline officers and expanding specialist child exploitation teams.
Recent performance data shows the force has solved three times more child sexual exploitation cases in the past year compared to previous periods. Additionally, 134 more suspects have been charged with relevant offences during this timeframe.
The spokesperson added: "Our commitment to safeguarding all victims of such terrible offences and bringing those responsible to justice is absolute." The force stressed that it investigates all allegations "following the evidence without fear or favour."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
