Survivors expose drug-gang sexual abuse and police neglect in UK documentary
Four women describe being groomed by drug gangs as teenagers and claim police failed to act on their reports.
In one outlet's documentary, four former victims recount how drug gangs targeted them from early adolescence, using affection and attention to coerce them into drug trafficking and severe sexual abuse. Their stories, covering incidents from 2002 through the previous year, reveal consistent tactics: older male gang members manipulated teenage girls, forced them to deliver drugs, and repeatedly raped them, often photographing the assaults.
Police investigations focused on drug offences rather than the abuse, leading to closed cases and no convictions. A recent government audit and a 2012 report warned of systemic failures, prompting the establishment of an independent inquiry into group-based sexual exploitation. Experts say the issue has been eclipsed by attention on grooming gangs, despite evidence that drug gangs have long exploited girls for profit and sex. The survivors have since rebuilt their lives, working in health, advocacy, and academia, while urging reforms to protect vulnerable youth.
Why it matters
It reveals systemic gaps in protecting teen girls from drug-gang exploitation and prompts a national inquiry.
In this story
