Browsing: UK grooming gangs inquiry

Tuesday’s newspaper front pages are dominated by the newly released audit led by Baroness Louise Casey into grooming gangs. The papers react to the details within the report especially focusing on the fact that authorities “shied away from the ethnicity” of the perpetrators over fears of raising racial tensions. 

The front pages leave space to report on the G7 summit, including the UK and US signing a trade deal and Donald Trump leaving the G7 early as the Middle East crisis escalates and commentators speculate if the US military is about to enter the crisis. 

Tuesday’s UK headlines are dominated by the ongoing backlash after a report into grooming gangs in the UK was released. The media is reading through the 197-page audit, and reacting to the details. The UK government has announced a full national inquiry to begin soon.

Global news takes centre-stage in the UK this morning, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed the UK-US trade deal with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada. The agreement removes tariffs on UK aerospace exports and cuts tariffs on British cars from 25% to 10%. The US president said the UK is ‘protected’ because he likes them.

There’s good news for British Steel which has secured a five-year contract worth £500m to supply train tracks for Network Rail.

MPs are debating on a law change aimed at decriminalising abortion in the House of Commons today. MPs are usually given a free vote on abortion, meaning they do not have to follow any party line on the subject.

Donald Trump has left the G7 summit early as the cross-border attacks between Israel and Iran continue to escalate. Israel is targeting Iran’s energy sector, which Iran says is a war crime. Trump leaving the Middle East so abruptly has global commentators suggesting that US troops could be preparing to enter the war.

The Home Office today announced a major, nationwide police operation targeting grooming gangs, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA). Over 800 historical cases have been reopened, with specialist teams—including Operation Hydrant and the Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce—mobilised to identify and prosecute offenders who had been previously overlooked.

Monday’s front pages report on the prime minister’s announcement of an inquiry into grooming gangs – after previously ruling out such a move.

It’s a hot topic for the UK tabloids who have been demanding a national inquiry for months and months.

Sir Keir Starmer said he had accepted the recommendations of an audit by Baroness Louise Casey into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse.

Baroness Casey has recommended a national inquiry is required, he said. The inquiry will cover England and Wales.
For months, Sir Keir has faced criticism for not being willing to set one up.

Friday’s newspapers lead with various domestic and international stories. There is front-page coverage of the sentencing of Hassan Sentamu, the 18-year-old convicted of murdering Elianne Andam in a knife attack in London. Labour’s grooming gangs inquiry, the ceasefire negotiations in the Israel-Gaza war and tributes are paid to the film director David Lynch, who has died at the age of 78. 

The back pages lead with Manchester United’s late 3-1 win over Southampton in last night’s Premier League match.