Betrayed by the System: As the UK Launches a National Inquiry Into Grooming Gangs, Survivors Demand More Than Apologies—They Want Justice

The United Kingdom is finally facing a reckoning it has long delayed. This week, Prime Minister Sakir Stalmer announced a full national inquiry into the sexual abuse and rape of thousands of girls by grooming gangs—after years of political resistance, institutional silence, and systemic failure.

The catalyst? A long-awaited report by Baroness Casey, due out momentarily, that is already sending shockwaves across the country. According to early leaks, the report will explicitly connect grooming gangs to men predominantly of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage. But it is not just the ethnicity of perpetrators that is causing outrage. The report will reveal that white British girls were institutionally ignored—all because authorities feared accusations of racism.

“They Knew for Years. They Did Nothing.”

In an emotionally charged segment on Loose Women, Maggie Oliver, the ex-detective who blew the whistle on the Rochdale scandal, appeared alongside two survivors, Jade and Shantel. Their message was harrowing and clear: the abuse was known, widespread, and deliberately ignored.

“Why another inquiry?” Maggie asked pointedly. “You’ve known for years. You’ve had all the recommendations. What’s been done?”

Despite her usual skepticism, Maggie said she trusts Baroness Casey—one of the few people she believes genuinely wants change. “She came to me. She listened. She wanted to meet the survivors—girls like Jade and Shantel. That’s when I decided I could trust her.”

For a woman who has spent years railing against cover-ups and institutional betrayal, Maggie’s endorsement of the Baroness is significant.

Survivors Speak Out

Jade and Shantel were just children—ten, eleven, twelve—when they were lured in by older men posing as boyfriends. “I thought he loved me,” one said. “I thought I was his girlfriend.”

But instead, they were trapped, groomed, sexually abused, and passed around by gangs. The trauma left lifelong scars. “It’s been 16 years,” Shantel said through tears. “I’ve told everyone. Police. Politicians. Media. And nothing has happened to him.”

Their bravery in waiving anonymity to speak publicly is as heartbreaking as it is powerful. What they want is not just an inquiry—they want convictions. They want to see their abusers in courtrooms, not walking the streets.

“They Called It a Lifestyle Choice”

The broadcast painted a deeply disturbing picture of systemic failure. Time and again, police, social workers, and care home managers dismissed young girls’ suffering as “attention seeking,” “bad behavior,” or even “prostitution.”

“Authorities said it was a lifestyle choice,” said one panelist in disbelief. “These girls were 10 years old.”

Grooming is not instant. It’s slow, calculated, insidious. “They meet you at a park or a vape shop,” one woman explained. “They buy you a drink, give you drugs, say you’re beautiful. Next thing you know, you’re addicted, isolated—and they own you.”

And it’s not limited by class. “This can happen to middle-class girls. But would authorities have listened more then? Probably.”

A Culture of Neglect

Much of the abuse centered around vulnerable girls in care homes—already neglected, unloved, and unprotected.

“These girls were starved of affection,” Maggie said. “And in care homes, staff aren’t allowed to hug them. They can’t even comfort them. The groomers knew that. They offered what the system couldn’t: love, attention, physical touch.”

It’s a devastating indictment not just of the police, but of an entire culture of bureaucratic cruelty—a system more concerned with optics than outcomes.

A Broken System of “Justice”

The public is rightly skeptical of yet another expensive government inquiry. “Inquiries delay things,” said one commentator. “People forget. Outrage fades.”

But there is cautious hope. Maggie Oliver’s confidence in Baroness Casey offers a glimmer that this time, something might actually change.

What must come next is action:

Reopen investigations

Prosecute abusers

Hold authorities accountable

Implement preventative strategies

Support survivors with mental health resources, housing, and legal aid

As one panelist said, “We don’t want ‘lessons learned.’ We want people behind bars.”

The Racial Red Herring

The racial aspect of the scandal has always been politically explosive. And it’s true—many perpetrators were of South Asian origin. But experts warn against turning this into a racial crusade.

“This isn’t about race. It’s about rape,” said Maggie. “There are also white grooming gangs. The recent case in Scotland proves that.”

Indeed, the real common thread is not ethnicity—but misogyny, power, and vulnerability.

Too often, police fail to believe women. Survivors know this. “Most women I know wouldn’t report a sexual assault,” said one guest. “They don’t trust the police. They ask, ‘What’s the point?’”

This is not a community problem. It’s a national one.

One Last Chance?

Baroness Casey’s report is expected to include searing criticisms of police, local councils, and child protection services. But will it matter?

“Every delay, every excuse, every ignored warning—it’s time to end it,” said one woman. “These girls were treated like nothing. But they are everything. And now we owe them everything.”

As Maggie, Jade, and Shantel bravely speak out, one thing is clear: the UK has reached a crossroads. The country can continue to bury this scandal under inquiries and bureaucracy—or it can finally, finally, begin the painful process of justice.

Let’s hope this inquiry isn’t another headline.

Let it be the start of a revolution.