The narrative of London having miraculously escaped the scourge of child rape grooming gangs may be on the verge of starting to unravel, with accusations of a “cover-up” being levied as investigations have uncovered potential examples of abuse operating in the British capital.
While the focus of investigations into England grooming gang activity, in which mostly Pakistani Muslim men sexually exploited and raped often young white working class girls, has been centred in northern areas of the country, such as Rochdale, Rotherham, and Telford, there long have been rumours that similar crimes were being committed in London, which like so many other cities is home to diverse populations living side by side.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan has consistently denied, and often quite testily, that such gangs exist in the city. Earlier this year, during a heated interaction with Conservative Assembly Member Susan Hall, Khan attempted several times to claim that he did not understand what Hall meant by grooming gangs, before finally saying that they do not operate in London. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has also maintained this stance, saying that the Met has “not seen” such groups in London.
However, a recent investigation from the Daily Express newspaper and MyLondon has identified at least six cases with the hallmarks of grooming gangs, including a 15-year-old girl who was brought by several men to a London hotel before being plied with drugs and alcohol and ultimately raped. Another case identified involved a 17-year-old girl who was give alcohol by multiple men before being raped.