Research links UK child grooming rings to wider organised crime networks
An independent study has mapped connections between British child-grooming gangs and at least 150 organised crime groups across the country.
A recent independent research initiative, dubbed the “Network Map,” has identified connections between notorious child-grooming gangs in Britain and a minimum of 150 organised crime groups, drawing on police records, court documents, survivor testimony and journalist input. The analysis reveals links between more than a thousand predators and drug networks, relatives of criminal organisations, and several high-profile figures such as councillors and police officers alleged to have mob affiliations.
According to the researchers, these relationships were instrumental in trafficking victims across the country, with multiple pathways centred on London. The study’s authors asked to stay unnamed for fear of retaliation. Their work arrives as a statutory inquiry, launched by the former Sir Keir Starmer government after a Baroness Louise Casey report highlighted the over-representation of Pakistani Muslim men among offenders and alleged police cover-ups. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has denied a grooming problem in the capital, while both he and newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham face criticism for alleged concealment of abuse in their cities.
Why it matters
Understanding the link between grooming gangs and organised crime could shape policing and policy responses to protect vulnerable children.
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