Police re-examine 287 little one sexual exploitation instances

Recent investigations may very well be launched into 287 little one sexual exploitation instances that had been dropped by native police forces, Yvette Cooper has advised MPs.

The house secretary mentioned the instances had been handed to a nationwide police taskforce which can have a look at whether or not to reopen them and “pursue any new strains of inquiry that haven’t been correctly pursued”.

In January, Cooper requested all police forces in England and Wales to “look once more at historic gang exploitation instances the place ‘No Additional Motion’ was taken”.

To this point half of the forces have reported again, with 287 instances recognized for evaluate by the nationwide Police Youngster Sexual Exploitation Taskforce.

“Now we’re awaiting reviews again from the opposite half of police forces,” Cooper advised the Commons Residence Affairs Committee earlier on Tuesday.

The federal government has resisted opposition requires a nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs with powers to compel witnesses to offer proof.

As a substitute, it has pledged £5m in funding for not less than 5 native inquiries, with the placement of these but to be introduced.

It additionally commissioned veteran Whitehall troubleshooter Dame Louise Casey to hold out a “fast” evaluate of the character and scale of group-based little one sexual abuse, and a framework for the native inquiries.

Casey had been as a consequence of launch her report final month however has requested for a “brief extension,” Cooper advised MPs.

“We do want her audit to tell the subsequent steps and choices across the native inquiries,” she mentioned.

In January, the nationwide taskforce reported that there have been 127 main police investigations underway on little one sexual exploitation and gang grooming throughout 29 completely different police forces.