An independent report in Britain has alleged a long-running pattern of organized sexual exploitation of British girls by grooming gangs made up of Muslim men, with an estimated 250,000 victims over several decades. The report says most of the girls were white and that many suffered repeated sexual abuse.
The findings draw on local investigations in places including Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford, where groups allegedly lured vulnerable girls, sometimes aged 11 to 16, with gifts, alcohol and drugs before sexually abusing them, trafficking them and subjecting them to repeated attacks. The report says the abuse often continued for years.
The inquiry, called the “Grooming Gangs Inquiry,” was led by MP Rupert Lowe and funded by crowdfunding. It collected testimony from victims and reviewed data from multiple local authorities. The 250,000 figure, the report says, is a statistical projection based on documented cases, not an individual count of every victim. It also says the offenders were mainly Pakistani Muslim men acting in organized gangs, while stressing that this is an assessment of patterns, not a blanket legal finding for every case.
The report accuses local authorities, police and social services of systemic failure, including a reluctance to act or publish full data out of fear of being seen as racist. It also alleges a broader cover-up and delayed official response. The publication has triggered political and public outrage in Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously said he intended to launch a national inquiry, but critics say it has been delayed. On 20 June, a British man reportedly stabbed five Muslims, saying he acted over claims that “our girls are being raped by Muslims,” an attack linked in reporting to the report’s publication and the wider controversy.
