Baroness Casey Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)

The publication of Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) last week has prompted a response from the UK government accepting all twelve of her recommendations.  

The Audit found young girls, as young as 10, were exploited, abused, plied with drugs and alcohol, brutally raped by gangs of men and then disgracefully let down again and again by the authorities who were meant to protect them and keep them safe, causing profound harm to victims and survivors throughout their lives.  

These reforms aim to overhaul how the justice system, law enforcement and safeguarding bodies respond to Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). 

Key Recommendations  

The Aduit made twelve recommendations as follows: 

• Mandatory Rape Charges: Adults who intentionally penetrate a child under 16 will face mandatory rape charges. 
• National Criminal Operation and Inquiry: A coordinated national police operation and statutory inquiry into group-based CSE will be launched. 
• Review of Victim Convictions: Victims wrongly criminalised will have their convictions reviewed and potentially expunged. 
• Mandatory Ethnicity and Nationality Data Collection: Police must collect this data for all suspects and improve data on victims. 
• Mandatory Information Sharing: Statutory partners must share safeguarding information, monitored by inspectorates. 
• Unique Reference Numbers for Children: To improve inter-agency data sharing and child protection. 
• Upgrade Police Information Systems: To support better intelligence sharing and use of child identifiers. 
• Treat CSE as Serious and Organised Crime: Elevate the investigative approach to match the severity of the crime. 
• Review Child Protection Data: Investigate the decline in CSE representation in assessments and notifications. 
• Research Drivers of Group-Based CSE: Including cultural, social, and online factors. 
• Reform Taxi Licensing: Address risks posed by “out of area” taxis and inconsistent licensing standards. 
• Long-Term Resourcing and Oversight: Ensure sustained funding and cross-departmental accountability. 

Mandatory Rape Charges for Adult Abusers of Children Under 16 

Baroness Casey’s first recommendation calls for reform of the current law relating to sexual activity with children. The recommendation is that any adult who intentionally penetrates a child under 16 should be charged with rape. The government has committed to enacting this change, ensuring that the law reflects the severity of the crime and prioritises the protection of children over the rights of perpetrators. 

This reform will require careful legislative drafting and consultation with the CPS and police to avoid unintended consequences such as criminalising consensual relationships between peers. Nonetheless, it represents a bold step toward ensuring justice for victims. 

National Criminal Operation and Inquiry 

The second recommendation proposes a two-pronged national response: 

A National Criminal Operation, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), will seek to unify and intensify efforts to investigate and prosecute group-based CSE. Over 800 previously dropped cases are already under review. An Independent National Inquiry established under the Inquiries Act will investigate institutional failures and hold local authorities accountable. It will have statutory powers to compel evidence and testimony. 

This approach aims to eliminate the “postcode lottery” in how CSE cases are handled and ensure that both historic and current victims receive justice. 

A national criminal investigation

Since January 2025, as a result of the new investment and policy approach announced by the Home Secretary, over 800 grooming gangs cases that were originally dropped by the police have now been identified for formal review, with police forces being asked to re-open investigations and pursue new lines of enquiry, where appropriate.

To strengthen efforts against child sexual exploitation (CSE), the government has announced a new national criminal operation targeting grooming gangs and wider group-based CSE, in partnership with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and police forces. 

This unified operation will coordinate national and local policing responses under a single framework, supporting both current and historic investigations. It will provide specialist expertise to enhance intelligence-led efforts at the local level.

Drawing on best practices from the NCA’s Operation Stovewood and West Yorkshire Police’s innovative ‘Smith algorithm’, the operation will take a proactive, intelligence-driven approach to identifying risks and acting swiftly in collaboration with local partners.

The operation’s core mission is to help police forces and communities detect criminal activity, bring more offenders to justice and protect children from harm. 

Led by the NCA, the initiative will integrate existing specialist resources, including the CSE Taskforce, Operation Hydrant, and the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX). 

Additionally, a new National Operating Model will be developed to guide investigations into complex group-based CSE cases. This model will be adopted across all forces to ensure consistent, high-quality support for victims and survivors – regardless of where they live.

A national inquiry coordinating a series of targeted local investigations

The government will launch a national inquiry under the Inquiries Act to coordinate a series of targeted local investigations into group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE). 

Led by an independent chair and established with statutory powers, the Independent Commission on Grooming Gangs will be empowered to direct investigations in specific local areas. Its core mission is to hold institutions accountable for both historic and ongoing failures in responding to group-based CSE. 

The Commission will have the authority to compel local organisations to participate fully in its inquiries, requiring the disclosure of information and the attendance of witnesses where necessary, to uncover the truth and ensure lessons are learned. 

Once the independent chair is appointed, the Commission will begin reviewing evidence and data to determine the first areas for investigation. These decisions will be informed by intelligence from police forces, inspectorates, local agencies, victims and survivors, and members of the public. 

The government is now moving swiftly to appoint the chair and finalise the Terms of Reference to enable the Commission to begin its vital work without delay.