UK police force probing 1,000+ grooming gang suspects after decades of failure - watchdog

A police force which previously apologised for decades of failure over grooming gangs is now investigating more than 1,000 suspects, a new watchdog report has revealed. His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has made "significant improvements" in how it investigates child sexual abuse and group-based exploitation, but warned trust remains fragile after years of systemic failings.

The report said GMP currently has 59 live "multi-victim, multi-offender" investigations involving 714 victims and survivors - and 1,099 suspects. In a 76-page review published on Tuesday, inspectors said the force had dramatically changed its approach since 2019, when it began reassessing historic child sexual exploitation cases. But while progress has been made, the legacy of past errors still casts a shadow.

Michelle Skeer, His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, said: "We found that since 2019, when Greater Manchester Police started to review its non-recent child sexual exploitation investigations, the force has improved its understanding and approach to investigating allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation.

"It is clear 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.

"It is vital that improvements are led by victims' experiences, and if they do come forward, they are supported, protected and taken seriously."

The force has previously faced fierce criticism over its handling of child sexual abuse, including a 2020 review which exposed multiple failures to act on evidence, leaving victims at the mercy of abusers and fuelling public outrage.

According to HMICFRS, the current leadership under Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson has worked to shift the internal culture. Child protection is now treated as a top priority across the ranks, with Sir Stephen or his deputies personally briefing every supervisor in the force.

The review said: "Officers told us that, due to a cultural shift in Greater Manchester Police, investigating child sexual exploitation is now considered 'everyone's business'."

Inspectors also praised the creation of the Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team (CSE MIT), a dedicated unit launched in 2021 with around 100 specialist staff and its own ring-fenced budget - the only such team in the UK.

The CSE MIT uses techniques typically reserved for serious and organised crime groups and has already helped secure 42 convictions, resulting in more than 430 years in prison. More trials are expected.

However, despite improvements, the report also identified persistent problems, particularly with how local authorities support investigations. Councils were sometimes unwilling to share crucial information with detectives, causing serious delays.

Manchester City Council was singled out after providing intelligence that was "so heavily redacted that some pages contained only a few words," the report said.

Inspectors warned that such gaps can "undermine victim confidence" and hinder efforts to bring offenders to justice.

GMP has also acknowledged the need for better training in some investigation teams and accepted that some victims had been let down in the way their cases were handled.

The force has been collecting detailed demographic data on both suspects and victims, including age, sex and ethnicity. A recent review by Baroness Louise Casey flagged the disproportionate number of Asian men involved in grooming gangs in Greater Manchester, warning that some authorities were "in denial" about the pattern.

Inspectors stressed the importance of intelligence-led policing and highlighted GMP's use of "problem profiles" to map emerging threats.

Responding to the report, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the region was now in a "demonstrably different and far stronger place" than it had been when the original failings occurred.

He said: "The effect of the assurance review I commissioned has been to usher in widespread culture change across all GM bodies. Never again will any child here be labelled or dismissed when they come forward to report concerns."

Mr Burnham also welcomed the Government's decision to launch a national inquiry into grooming gangs - a move he said would not have happened without the pressure generated by the Greater Manchester review.

He added: "Now the national inquiry is being put in place, we must allow victims the space and the right climate to have their voices heard, allow the actual truth to be established and accountability delivered."