Birmingham and Wales next locations for grooming gangs inquiry

Birmingham and Wales have been announced as the next locations for local investigations as part of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs.

The statutory inquiry, chaired by former children's commissioner Baroness Anne Longfield, is carrying out targeted investigations in areas across England and Wales.

It has the power to compel individuals and institutions to explain what they "did or did not do to protect children from being sexually abused", and will look at the nature and scale of abuse in each area.

Investigations have already been announced for Oldham in Greater Manchester, Bradford and Keighley in West Yorkshire and London.

The inquiry said it would examine the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Birmingham and Wales as well as the response of organisations responsible for protecting them.

It said its decision to conduct an investigation in Birmingham reflected a combination of factors "including victim and survivor experience, indications of prevalence, harm and risk, and public concern".

Panel member Zoë Billingham said: "We will look carefully at what organisations knew, how decisions were made, how agencies worked together, and why opportunities to protect children were missed".

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