UK Police May Be Forced To Reopen Grooming Gang Cases From 16 Years Ago Amid Growing Public Fury

Published 28 June 2026 · europe

UK Police May Be Forced To Reopen Grooming Gang Cases From 16 Years Ago Amid Growing Public Fury Published By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026

UK Police May Be Forced To Reopen Grooming Gang Cases From 16 Years Ago Amid Growing Public Fury Published By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 23:28 IST Met Police may reopen thousands of grooming gang cases in the UK, as Operation Beaconport review follows Baroness Louise Casey report and public outcry. This comes weeks after the publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s independent report that revealed institutional failures by investigating agencies on sexual abuses, including avoiding any mention of the ethnicity of perpetrators “for fear of appearing racist”.(Representational) Amid growing demand for investigation into grooming gang cases in the United Kingdom, the Metropolitan Police is likely to reopen thousands of such cases dating back 16 years. More than 4,000 group-based sexual abuse cases have been flagged for potential re-examination by the Scotland Yard audit, The Sun reported.

“We have identified those previously closed cases that meet the criteria to be considered as part of Operation Beaconport," said Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth. The Met Police launched an internal audit into its records, plunging into data from the past 16 years in the capital, The Sun reported. This comes weeks after the publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s independent report caused a massive public outcry. The report stated that there were institutional failures by investigating agencies on sexual abuses, including avoiding any mention of the ethnicity of perpetrators “for fear of appearing racist". Watch: Rupert Lowe Calls for Clarity On Grooming Gang Following the report, Keir Starmer announced a national inquiry into the matter. Last week, the Crime Agency (NCA) announced that several previously closed child sexual exploitation cases have been sent back to police forces for further investigation under a nationwide review known as Operation Beaconport.

The review is examining cases recorded between January 2010 and March 2025 involving at least two suspects accused of sexual abuse, where victims suffered sexual offences involving physical contact, no previous review had been conducted, and authorities had taken no further action. The latest developments come against the backdrop of multiple grooming gang prosecutions across England. AFP previously reported that seven men were convicted in June 2025 in a major Rochdale child sexual exploitation case involving two girls who were abused over several years. In October 2025, the same seven offenders were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 35 years after a court heard the victims had been treated as “sex slaves". Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he would “continue to support and hold the Met to account to ensure it does everything possible to tackle child sexual exploitation in London, including grooming gangs".