Scotland Yard is set to review and potentially reopen more than 4,000 grooming gang cases in London dating back to 2010, following an internal investigation prompted by a recent probe. The Metropolitan Police had previously recorded over 12,000 alleged incidents of sexual abuse and exploitation during this period, but a significant number of these cases were not advanced to prosecution.

An audit by Met officers revealed that police or the Crown Prosecution Service chose to take no further action in over 4,000 cases involving alleged sexual abuse and grooming. These cases encompass a variety of offender profiles and include abuse both within families and through online exploitation channels.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has since received these unresolved files and is expected to announce in the near future how many of these cases will be reopened, aiming to identify and bring alleged perpetrators to justice.

The admission has drawn criticism from political figures. Susan Hall, a Tory politician, described the revelations as “utterly disgraceful,” emphasizing the gravity of the situation by highlighting the number of young victims involved. Hall also condemned what she described as resistance encountered during previous attempts to address the issue.

The situation is viewed as an embarrassment for London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who had previously stated there were “no reported cases” of rape gangs operating within the capital. A spokesperson for Khan reiterated the mayor’s commitment to justice, stating, “The mayor wants justice for every single victim.”

As the review progresses, authorities face mounting pressure to ensure thorough investigations and accountability in what remains a highly sensitive and complex area of law enforcement.