Child sexual exploitation is a national crisis, not a local problem. Our inquiry must have the power to match
16 June 2025, 12:58
A full statutory inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE) is not only welcome – it is long overdue.
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The national inquiry into child sexual exploitation mustn’t scatter more pins on the map – it must string them together
Local inquiries into isolated cases have uncovered serious failings, but they have never had the scope or power to expose the true scale of the problem or to drive the structural reform needed to deliver justice for all survivors. Now that the government has accepted Baroness Casey’s recommendation, the question is no longer whether we hold a national inquiry but how we do it right.
What’s needed is a survivor-centred and detailed forensic inquiry that reflects the national scope of this crisis. There can be no half measures.
Until now, investigations have focused disproportionately on a handful of northern towns. That narrow lens has fed a potentially misleading narrative that the failure to tackle grooming gangs is primarily due to fears around racial profiling.
In truth, the issue is far broader. The available data is currently too limited to support sweeping claims about ethnicity. What we do know is that deep-rooted, cross-agency failures enable CSE, which is worsened by underfunding, staff shortages, and resource constraints, leaving services overwhelmed and unable to respond effectively.
The local probes have placed dots on the map. What we need now is an inquiry that strings them together. These local investigations must not be viewed in isolation, but as pieces of a wider national puzzle that can reveal systemic flaws and work to fix them.
A full statutory inquiry is the only format with the scope and legal powers to compel evidence from all relevant institutions, compare practice across regions, and hold agencies to account.
To succeed, this inquiry must be independently led, chaired by someone who has earned the trust of survivors, and rooted in transparency. Survivors have spent years being failed by professionals, by the system, and by silence. This is perhaps the last chance to right this wrong and put them at the centre - turning learning into lasting change.
If done properly, this inquiry can be a national turning point: a path to redress, accountability and, ultimately, meaningful reform that protects children, not just today, but for generations to come.
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Henry Bermingham is a public sector lawyer at national law firm Weightmans
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