Grooming Gangs Inquiry Adds Wales and Birmingham 2026

Key Points

• These inquiries into grooming gangs will do detailed investigations in Wales and Birmingham.
• The investigation will cover cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation in addition to the activities of organizations responsible for the protection of children.
• This will be an investigation in the whole country of Wales and not restricted to any specific town or city in Wales.
• The investigation in Wales will include safeguarding, multi-agency working, devolved systems and cooperation between Welsh and English organizations.
• The Birmingham investigation will begin with the city and may later cover other areas connected or close to Birmingham.
• The inquiry will be headed by Baroness Anne Longfield who was the former children’s commissioner for England.
• The inquiry has legal powers to compel witnesses and to compel organizations to give documents.
• Local investigations have been announced in London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley before.
• The survivors and the campaigners have welcomed the investigation in Wales and Birmingham but cautioned against the national inquiry compromising the investigation’s quality.
• The national inquiry will also look into the impact of ethnicity, religion, culture and technology on group-based child sexual exploitation.

Wales (Wales Times) September 30, 2026 – Dedicated investigations into child sexual abuse and exploitation have been announced in both areas as part of the statutory independent inquiry into grooming gangs.

The inquiry said the investigations would examine the abuse and exploitation of children by grooming gangs and the response of organisations responsible for protecting them. The organisations under examination include police forces, local authorities, health services, social care bodies, schools, central government and other safeguarding agencies.

The inquiry is chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield, the former children’s commissioner for England. It can compel witnesses to give evidence and require organisations to hand over documents. Its work includes both local investigations into particular areas and a national investigation examining the wider picture across England and Wales.

The announcement means Wales and Birmingham will join London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley as areas selected for dedicated local investigations.

What will the Wales investigation examine?

The Wales investigation will examine offending and institutional responses across the country rather than concentrating on a single town or city.

According to the inquiry, investigators will examine safeguarding arrangements, the way agencies worked together, the operation of devolved responsibilities and cooperation between organisations in Wales and England. The cross-border element is significant because children, perpetrators and safeguarding concerns may involve agencies operating under different legal and administrative systems.

The inquiry will assess what institutions knew, how they responded to concerns and whether opportunities to protect children were missed. It will also examine how victims and survivors were treated when they reported abuse and whether organisations provided appropriate support.

The Guardian reported that several police operations have targeted grooming gangs in Wales. It noted that four men were jailed the previous week for abusing teenage girls in Rhyl, Denbighshire, between 2022 and 2024. The offending was linked to exploitation centred on a coffee house.

Amy Clowrey, a director at Switalskis solicitors, which represents Welsh survivors, said the issue was not limited to England. As reported by The Guardian, Clowrey said survivors she represented had felt Wales was overlooked in the national discussion.

Baroness Longfield said victims and survivors in Wales had waited too long for answers. She said the investigation would seek to establish the truth, deliver accountability and identify changes needed to improve the protection of children in the future.

The inclusion of Wales has also received cross-party support in the Senedd. The investigation is expected to consider how safeguarding responsibilities operate within the devolved Welsh system and how Welsh organisations coordinate with counterparts in England.

What will the Birmingham investigation examine?

The Birmingham investigation will initially focus on the city. However, the inquiry has said it may extend to surrounding, connected or satellite areas if evidence supports doing so.

The investigation will examine the abuse and exploitation of children, how organisations responded and whether children were adequately protected. It will also consider whether agencies listened to victims and survivors, acted on available information and worked effectively with other bodies.

The Guardian reported that police documents uncovered by the Birmingham Mail in 2010 showed that offenders were targeting children at schools and children’s homes. The report said a large proportion of the alleged offenders were from Birmingham’s Pakistani-heritage community.

In 2014, Birmingham City Council went to court to secure injunctions against several men in an attempt to prevent them from approaching underage girls. The Guardian also reported that victims from other parts of the West Midlands had been trafficked into Birmingham for abuse.

The inquiry’s work may therefore extend beyond events occurring solely within Birmingham. If evidence shows links between the city and neighbouring areas, investigators may examine those connections as part of the local investigation.

Why has the inquiry been expanded?

The national inquiry is examining areas where there have been concerns about child sexual exploitation, the treatment of victims and survivors, institutional responses and possible missed opportunities to prevent harm.

The BBC reported that the decision to include Birmingham was based on several factors, including survivor experiences, indications of prevalence, harm and risk, and public anxiety.

The inquiry has not suggested that every person or organisation in the areas selected failed to protect children. Instead, it will examine specific evidence and determine what happened, what agencies knew, how decisions were made and whether their actions were adequate.

Zoë Billingham, a panel member, told the BBC that investigators would examine what organisations knew, how decisions were made, how agencies worked together and why opportunities to safeguard children were missed.

The earlier local investigations announced in June cover London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley. The inquiry will also consider whether previous reviews in places such as Telford, Rochdale, Oxford and Rotherham resulted in meaningful action.

What have survivors said about the wider inquiry?

Survivor groups have welcomed the inclusion of areas where they believe evidence requires further examination. However, some have warned that covering a larger geographical area could make it harder for investigators to examine individual experiences in sufficient detail.

The BBC reported comments from Fiona Goddard, who said there was clear data from Birmingham and Wales requiring proper attention. She welcomed their inclusion but warned that the depth of the inquiry should not be compromised by expanding its geographical scope.

A survivor identified by the BBC using the pseudonym Carly said she had been groomed at the age of 12 in Huddersfield in 2004. She questioned whether an investigation covering a large and complex area such as Wales could provide a sufficiently detailed examination of individual experiences.

The concerns reflect a wider challenge facing the inquiry. A national investigation must identify common failures and patterns, but local investigations must also preserve the detail of individual cases. Survivors and their representatives are expected to monitor whether the inquiry gives enough time and resources to both objectives.

The inquiry has established a national listening project through which victims and their families can describe the impact of abuse. Their evidence is intended to inform both local investigations and the inquiry’s national findings.

Will ethnicity, religion and culture be examined?

The inquiry will examine the role of ethnicity, religion and culture in group-based child sexual exploitation.

The Guardian reported that Lady Louise Casey’s audit found that men from Asian ethnic backgrounds were overrepresented in recent police investigations into grooming gangs in parts of northern England. Casey also said that the lack of reliable data made it difficult to establish an accurate national picture.

Casey called for more work to identify the nature of group-based child sexual exploitation and to understand why men of Asian and Pakistani ethnicity appeared to be disproportionately represented in some areas.

The inquiry will need to examine these issues carefully and distinguish between evidence relating to specific offenders, communities and institutions. It will also consider whether concerns about ethnicity, religion or culture affected the willingness of officials to investigate allegations or take protective action.

The purpose of the investigation is to establish facts and institutional responsibility. It is not intended to assign collective blame to entire ethnic, religious or local communities.

How has technology changed child exploitation?

The inquiry will examine the changing methods used by perpetrators, including the possible role of technology and social media.

The Guardian reported that many survivors described being targeted by street-grooming networks, including groups operating through takeaways and taxi companies. Other survivors said they were introduced to offenders by friends, peers or family members.

Frontline workers have also warned that children are increasingly approached through online platforms. Digital communication can allow perpetrators to contact children privately, build relationships and move abuse away from locations where adults or professionals may notice warning signs.

The inquiry’s national work is expected to consider how patterns of exploitation have changed over time. It may also examine whether police, schools, social services, technology companies and other organisations have adapted quickly enough to emerging risks.

What powers does the inquiry have?

The inquiry has statutory powers that allow it to compel witnesses to give evidence and require organisations to produce documents.

These powers are intended to help investigators examine records, correspondence, safeguarding decisions, police information, social-care files and other evidence relevant to the protection of children.

The inquiry will look at both individual conduct and institutional systems. This includes whether agencies shared information, whether complaints were recorded properly, whether victims were believed and whether officials acted when warning signs emerged.

The inquiry is also expected to examine the response of central government, local councils, police institutions, the NHS and other public bodies. Its findings may result in recommendations for changes to safeguarding procedures, training, data collection, accountability and inter-agency cooperation.

How does the inquiry fit into the wider investigation?

The statutory independent inquiry was established after concerns about the handling of child sexual exploitation and the response of public institutions. It operates across England and Wales and combines local investigations with a national examination of the wider picture.

The Guardian reported that the government eventually agreed to a national inquiry after a recommendation from Lady Casey, who conducted an audit. The inquiry is being led by Baroness Longfield and is expected to operate over three years with a budget of £65 million.

The investigation will run alongside Operation Beaconport, an investigation by the National Crime Agency. The two processes have different functions, with the criminal investigation focused on potential offences and the public inquiry examining wider institutional responses and lessons for the future.

The inquiry has stated that evidence from local investigations will contribute to its national findings and recommendations. It will also consider previous inquiries and whether recommendations made in earlier reviews were implemented effectively.

Background to the grooming gangs inquiry

The inquiry was formally initiated by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June 2025 and began operating in April, according to the BBC.

Its creation followed sustained pressure from survivors, campaigners and politicians for a broader examination of group-based child sexual exploitation. The debate intensified after concerns about abuse in Oldham and questions over whether public bodies had adequately responded to warnings.

The inquiry’s local investigations were selected using factors including the experiences of victims and survivors, evidence of harm and risk, indications of prevalence, public concern and possible failures by institutions.

The first dedicated investigations announced in June covered London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley. The addition of Wales and Birmingham expands the inquiry’s geographical reach and introduces further questions about devolved safeguarding arrangements and cross-border working.

The inquiry’s central task is to determine what happened, how organisations responded, why children were not always protected and what changes are required. Its findings may shape national safeguarding policy and influence the way public authorities respond to future reports of child sexual exploitation.

How could the inquiry affect survivors and safeguarding agencies?

The grooming gangs inquiry could give survivors in Wales and Birmingham a formal opportunity to have their experiences examined and recorded. Its findings may also identify failures in reporting systems, information sharing, investigations, victim support and cooperation between agencies.

For safeguarding agencies, the investigations may lead to closer scrutiny of past decisions and recommendations for changes to procedures, training and accountability. The Wales investigation could also clarify how devolved responsibilities and cross-border cases should be managed.

The effect will depend on the inquiry’s ability to examine evidence thoroughly while maintaining a clear focus on individual survivors. A wider geographical scope may reveal national patterns, but survivors and campaigners will expect local cases to receive detailed attention rather than being absorbed into broad conclusions.

The inquiry’s final recommendations could influence policing, social care, education, healthcare, local government and online safety policy. Until evidence is tested and findings are published, no conclusions should be drawn about the responsibility of particular individuals or organisations.