Victims of grooming gangs received mistaken letters about perpetrators' early release

In testimony before the Home Affairs committee, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood disclosed that the Ministry of Justice sent out a series of letters by mistake, wrongly indicating that some offenders, including those convicted of grooming offences, were set for early release. Fiona Goddard, a survivor and activist, was among those who received the erroneous notice, even though her attacker was not scheduled for release. Mahmood attributed the mishap to a problem within the Ministry and promised that the new Lord Chancellor will oversee apologies and provide accurate updates to victims.

The controversy arises amid Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s plan to ease early release thresholds under the Sentencing Act 2026, which would allow some prisoners to leave after serving a third of their term. After public outcry, Burnham announced exclusions for rape, grooming, child sexual offences and, more recently, for manslaughter and dangerous-driving cases. He affirmed that Justice Secretary Alex Norris will monitor the situation to prevent further distress for survivors.