Grooming gangs in London – what do we know?
The Met has said it is reviewing 9,000 historic cases of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse from the last 15 years, where the outcome was no further action by police or the Crown Prosecution Service.1
The Met and the Mayor have stated that group-based offending is based on a wide definition of abuse types, including cases of intra-familial, peer-on-peer, and institutional abuse, as well as those commonly understood as ‘grooming gangs’.2 3 4
There have been several media reports of grooming gangs operating in London, with a number of media outlets carrying out in-depth investigations into how grooming gangs operate, and their impact in London.
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee will hear from investigative journalists who have written articles on grooming gangs in London and have spoken to victim-survivors, charities, solicitors and police officers.
Guests include:
- Sima Kotecha, Senior U.K. Correspondent, BBC
- Zak Garner-Purkis, Investigations editor, Express
- Rachael Burford, Political reporter, Standard
- Charlie Peters, Reporter and presenter, GB News
The meeting will take place in the Chamber at City Hall on Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 10am.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- London Assembly Plenary, Question and Answer Session: Policing in London, 13 November 2025
- The national Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs is focused on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse committed by grooming gangs. It defines group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse as “a kind of child sexual abuse, involving two or more perpetrators who are connected through formal or informal associations who are involved in or facilitate the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. This involvement may take many forms, including introducing children to others for the purpose of exploitation, trafficking a child for sexual exploitation, taking payment for sexual activity with a child, or allowing premises to be used for such activities.” - Home Office, Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs: terms of reference, 31 March 2026
- Mayor of London, MQ 2025/0138 – Grooming Gangs in London (1), 23 February 2026
- London Assembly Plenary, Question and Answer Session: Policing in London, 13 November 2025
- Susan Hall AM, Chairman of the Police and Crime Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Police and Crime Committee.
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07763 251 727 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer