Baroness Louise Casey has expressed deep concern over ongoing failures to protect victims of sexual exploitation by grooming gangs, despite increased public attention in recent years. Speaking at the Hay Festival, Casey reflected on her role leading an investigation into Rotherham Council following revelations that more than 1,400 children were sexually abused by predominantly Asian male gangs in the town between 1997 and 2013.

Her 2015 inquiry uncovered systemic failures within the council’s culture and services, highlighting deficiencies in how abuse was identified and addressed. Casey said she was disheartened that, a decade after the initial scandal came to light, insufficient progress had been made in safeguarding vulnerable children.

“I was really upset that in the intermediate 10 years [since Rotherham], not enough had changed,” she said. Casey criticised the continued disbelief faced by victims, inadequate evidence gathering, and a reluctance to address the roles of religion and ethnicity in perpetrator profiling. She described a prevailing atmosphere of denial surrounding these issues.

Reflecting personally, Baroness Casey admitted feeling as though she had let down the victims but vowed to persist in tackling the problem. “I’m like a dog with a bone. I just won’t let go,” she stated, underscoring her commitment to ensure such failings do not recur.

Her remarks come amid ongoing national discussions about the effectiveness of child protection services and the challenges of addressing culturally sensitive aspects of grooming gang cases. Casey’s comments highlight the need for continued vigilance and reform to better support victims and prevent further exploitation.