London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley named as first focus of grooming gangs inquiry

Inquiry will compel individuals and institutions to explain what they did or did not do to protect children from sexual abuse London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley will be the first towns and cities investigated by an independent grooming gangs inquiry, it was announced on Wednesday. The independent inquiry into grooming gangs has confirmed that its three-part hearings will investigate Whitehall departments and politicians alongside local councils, the NHS and national police institutions. Chaired by Anne Longfield, it will compel individuals and institutions to explain what they “did or did not do to protect children from being sexually abused”, a statement said. There has been months of lobbying from survivors and campaigners over which areas will be included. The commissioners have previously said the inquiry will not investigate every area in which grooming gangs operated. More areas will be confirmed as the inquiry sets out phases of its investigation. According to one former solicitor for grooming gang survivors in Oldham, patterns of abuse were first noticed in the town in the early 2000s. Girls living in care homes, some as young as 12, were abused by groups of predominantl