Birmingham and Wales added to national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs

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".

Baroness Longfield meanwhile said victims and survivors in Wales had waited too long for answers and the inquiry would help the panel understand "why children were not protected" and what needs to change in future.

The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs in England and Wales was announced by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June 2025.

But it faced turbulence when abuse survivors called on former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips to quit. The inquiry started work in April this year with a budget of £65m.

The inquiry has previously said areas are chosen for investigation based on criteria including how victims and survivors were treated when they came forward, and whether opportunities to prevent harm were missed.