An inspection of the effectiveness of the police and law enforcement bodies’ response to group-based child sexual exploitation in England and Wales
On 21 March 2022, the then Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, wrote to us, requesting an inspection under section 54 (2B) of the Police Act 1996.
The terms of reference asked us to inspect the police and other law enforcement bodies in England and Wales and consider how effectively they respond to victims and perpetrators of group-based child sexual exploitation. We were also asked to assess how their responses influence investigations and the ways in which they safeguard children.
During our inspection, we focused on three broad areas:
- The nature and scale of offending.
- The police’s attitude towards victims.
- The quality of investigations and wider outcomes.
During September and December 2022, our fieldwork took place in six police forces in England and Wales, two regional organised crime units and the NCA.
This report sets out our findings.
Get the report
Read the report online
An inspection of the effectiveness of the police and law enforcement bodies’ response to group-based child sexual exploitation in England and Wales (HTML)Download the report
Get the press release
Police not doing enough to tackle group-based child sexual exploitation