A crowdfunded independent inquiry into predominantly Pakistani grooming gangs in the United Kingdom concluded this week, calling for major legal changes to put abusers in prison for life. But major gaps still remain from this latest unofficial investigation into the decades-long scandal of systematic child rape, countless cover-ups, and internal evidence of the inaction of public servants in the face of horrific abuse of mostly young white working-class girls.
The Rape Gang Inquiry Report has called for the establishment of a specialist national prosecutor to focus on the systematic grooming and gang rape of young girls in the United Kingdom by predominantly Pakistani men, and for considerably harsher punishments for those found guilty.
The report was particularly critical of the British state, given testimony from survivors stating the authorities were often aware of the rapes, but either turned a blind eye or even sided with abusers. It stated: “The perpetrators operated with impunity because the state enabled them… The rape gangs did not operate in the shadows, but with the active or passive consent of the British state.”
In damning accusations, the Inquiry Report this week stated:
The demographic and cultural drivers are clear. Perpetrators from Pakistani Muslim and other Muslim backgrounds operated under an honour- and shame-based clan code that treated non-Muslim girls, especially white working class girls, as property available for sexual use…
…every one of our institutions failed them catastrophically. Police forces ignored repeated reports, criminalised victims instead of perpetrators, destroyed evidence, and allowed known rapists to walk free on bail. Social care services undermined protective parents, placed children in trafficking hubs inside children’s homes, closed cases despite clear indicators of exploitation, and retaliated against whistleblowers.
The NHS recorded genital injuries, multiple sexually transmitted infections in children as young as 13, pregnancies caused by rape, and suicide attempts, yet discharged victims back to their abusers without safeguarding referrals or trauma care. Schools observed older men collecting girls at the gates, heard disclosures of rape on school premises, and responded by excluding victims rather than protecting them. Taxi licensing authorities renewed permits for drivers who formed the logistical backbone of the networks and collapsed in the face of organised protests when basic safety measures were proposed.
The crowdfunded inquiry, which is not an official government investigation but rather an independent process headed up by MP Rupert Lowe, the leader of a small sovereigntist-right party, Restore Britain, commenced in 2025 and held public hearings of evidence in February 2026. The remarkable testimonies of survivors, in which extreme acts of sexual brutality against young children were alleged, have doubtless played an important role in keeping public attention on the grooming scandal, which the British government has been reluctant to fully address.
Hellbound and Down 