Today in Focus

The chaos of the grooming gangs inquiry

24 snips
Oct 30, 2025
Geraldine McKelvey, a Senior correspondent at The Guardian with a deep focus on child sexual exploitation, delves into the turmoil surrounding the national grooming gangs inquiry. She explains the distinctions between grooming and child sexual exploitation. The conversation reveals the complexities of defining grooming gangs and the emerging political controversies that threaten the inquiry's integrity. Geraldine also highlights the urgency felt by survivors due to past failures, as well as the critical need for funding and proper oversight to ensure future protections.
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INSIGHT

Inquiry Collapsed Before It Began

  • The national grooming gangs inquiry stalled before starting due to resignations, political interference and mistrust.
  • Survivors quit the oversight panel fearing the inquiry would avoid hard questions and lack credibility.
ANECDOTE

Reporting Sparked Local Inquiries

  • Geraldine McKelvey described her reporting from Rotherham and Telford that exposed widespread grooming and led to local inquiries.
  • Her work with survivors revealed systemic failures and connected deaths linked to exploitation.
INSIGHT

Grooming Definition Is Not Straightforward

  • Defining 'grooming gangs' is complex and contested, covering online and street-based forms and varying perpetrator numbers.
  • That definitional fuzziness fuels debate over the inquiry's focus and scope.
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