More than 1,000 grooming suspects are being investigated by one of Britain’s largest police forces as part of 59 separate abuse probes, a report reveals today.
Over 300 police officers in Greater Manchester alone have been conducting live inquiries into whether 714 victims were preyed upon, it says.
The staggering number is exposed by a report by the police inspectorate into how the force at the centre of the Rochdale grooming scandal handles such cases today.
It was commissioned after an inquiry last year found that callous paedophiles were left free to groom a new generation of victims because police and council bosses ignored the abuse of scores of young girls.
At the time, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson acknowledged the findings were ‘shameful’ and issued a ‘heartfelt apology’ to victims.
Today’s findings come after Sir Keir Starmer staged a U-turn and agreed to a national inquiry into Asian grooming gangs following a hard-hitting report by Baroness Louise Casey.
She condemned public bodies for covering up sickening evidence about the ethnicity of rapists preying on thousands of vulnerable girls ‘for fear of appearing racist’.
Today’s report praises how Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has improved how it investigates child sexual grooming offences, saying it now has large and well-resourced teams.
Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson – who turned around the troubled force after taking over in 2021 – has previously accepted its historic handling of grooming allegations was ‘shameful’ and issued a ‘heartfelt apology’ to victims
Andy Burnham, Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, commissioned today’s report after saying it was ‘only by facing up fully and unflinchingly to what happened’ that children today can be protected from abuse
Underlining the scale of the challenge they face, it says that as of last October the force was conducting 59 ‘live multi-victim multi-offender child sexual exploitation investigations’.
‘At the time of our inspection, the force told us that in these active investigations there were 714 victims and survivors, and 1,099 suspects,’ the report says.
There were ‘more than 300 officers investigating child sexual exploitation offences’ which ‘shows the importance’ with which the force treats such offences.
In her report last month, Lady Casey said GMP was examining 61 such investigations with 269 ‘known suspects’.
The figure of 1,099 is understood to include cases where officers have only been given nicknames or descriptions of alleged abusers, meaning some suspects may feature more than once.
Their ethnicities are not disclosed in the latest report.
Just last month seven members of the latest Asian grooming gang to be brought to justice for preying on white girls in Rochdale in the early 2000s were convicted of using victims as ‘sex slaves’.
A further 20 men have been charged as part of the same investigation, with five further trials planned.
As of last October Greater Manchester Police was investigating 714 victims and survivors of grooming and 1,099 suspects
Mohammed Zahid, 64 (left), ringleader of the latest Asian grooming gang convicted of exploiting young girls in Rochdale in the early 2000s
Today’s report was commissioned by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to examine how the force investigates allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation.
While praising an overall improvement, it says some investigators need additional training.
Additionally it highlights gaps in joining up police, NHS and social services records of vulnerable children.
It also said that of 74 children who last year’s report found were likely to have been left to be sexually exploited between 2003 and 2013 despite coming forward, ten had not received ‘an appropriate level of service’ from GMP.
Some of these may have lost trust in the police due to ‘victim-blaming’ language being used at the time, it says.
Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said: ‘It is clear that that the force has for many years been trying to provide a better service to those who have or may have experienced sexual exploitation.
‘But for some, trust and confidence in the police had been lost, and the force would not be able to rectify their experiences.’
Responding to the latest report, along with a new Ofsted review into child protection across Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham said the findings meant ‘people can have confidence that today’s approach is fit for purpose’.
‘I am confident in my view that the Greater Manchester system is in a demonstrably different and far stronger place today than it was when the failings happened,’ he added.
Sir Stephen acknowledged that victims were ‘failed in the past’ but said the report showed ‘significant improvements’ had been made.
‘We owe it both to those abused in the past and to our children today to sustain this most pressing of priorities and I give my commitment to do just that,’ he said.
‘To those who are responsible for these repugnant crimes – as is now very apparent – we will pursue you relentlessly.’
