Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs: Chair and panellists open letter to victims and survivors
Published 10 December 2025
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To all victims and survivors of grooming gangs,
As the newly appointed Chair and Panellists of the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, we are writing to you as our first formal act of this vitally important work. We do so with humility, determination, and a deep sense of responsibility.
We are acutely aware that many of you have heard promises before and, too often, they have been broken. Public authorities have failed you, and the pain and mistrust this has caused cannot be understated. Our first and absolute commitment is to ensure that this inquiry does not repeat the mistakes of the past, but that it will be independent, transparent, and focused on truth and accountability.
The inquiry was set up following Baroness Casey’s National Audit, which exposed decades of systemic failures. We will scrutinise the actions, and inactions, of public bodies which allowed these to take place. We will not shy away from difficult or uncomfortable truths wherever we find them, including relating to any culture drivers of offending and the ethnicity of perpetrators. Where we find new evidence that should be investigated by the police, we will ensure it is passed on to the dedicated police operation overseen by the National Crime Agency, Operation Beaconport. Baroness Casey has agreed to act as an Adviser during the Inquiry to ensure it stays true to this promise.
The findings in Baroness Casey’s report were truly shocking, and we recognise that each instance represents a life changed forever. Behind every heinous crime is a person, a child, a teenager, a family. We will never lose sight of this. Your experiences, your voices, and your courage will be central to our work.
Equally, we know that every survivor is different. You each have your own story, and of course your own views and opinions. Therefore, we know that every survivor may not always agree with every decision we make. Our commitment to you is that we will approach this work with honesty, empathy, and resolve. We will not allow voices of victims and survivors to be silenced or your experiences to be minimised.
We know that trust must be earned. We intend to meet with groups of victims and survivors over the first initial months of the inquiry while we consult on our terms of reference and get the inquiry up and running. Further details of this process will follow in January. We thank you for your patience and intend that your trust in us will be repaid.
With deepest respect,
Baroness Anne Longfield CBE, Zoë Billingham CBE, Eleanor Kelly CBE