The UK Government is conducting an urgent review to address concerns over a loophole in its early prison release scheme that may allow some grooming gang members to be freed sooner than expected. The policy, introduced by the Labour government to alleviate overcrowding in prisons, was initially set to release about 6,000 offenders early but has since been revised to exclude rapists, serious child sex offenders, and convicted grooming offenders. However, questions have arisen over offenders convicted of indecent assault—an offence not explicitly exempted from the scheme—potentially benefiting from early release.

Five men convicted last year of indecent assault related to the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in Bradford are among those who may be eligible for early release after serving half of their sentences, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s assurances that grooming gang perpetrators would be excluded. The men—Mohammed Imran Akram, Safraz Ahmed Latif, Wajid Hussain, Mohammed Naheem, and Nadeem Ali—received sentences ranging from six to eight years and could be released as early as 2028.

Ex-Greater Manchester Police detective Maggie Oliver, known for exposing the Rochdale child sex abuse scandal, strongly criticised the policy, describing it as “gross neglect” and a betrayal of victims. She highlighted that the indecent assault convictions largely stem from offences committed before anti-grooming laws were introduced in 2003, which complicates their classification under the current policy. Oliver expressed concern that the government had not carefully scrutinised who would benefit from the early release changes prior to implementation, and emphasised the ongoing failure of the justice system to adequately protect victims and uphold public safety.

The Conservative Party, led by Kemi Badenoch, echoed these criticisms. Badenoch warned the Prime Minister that his policy risked allowing grooming perpetrators to gain early release, urging him to end the “reckless” scheme and protect survivors. She labelled the process as an additional affront to victims, calling for stronger measures to ensure offenders serving time for grooming-related crimes remain incarcerated.

In response, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Burnham stated that the Ministry of Justice has been tasked with conducting a thorough review of cases to identify grooming gang offenders who might be mistakenly eligible for early release. The spokesperson affirmed the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to ensuring that offenders responsible for such crimes face justice that reflects the severity of their offences.

The early release policy permits offenders sentenced to four years or more to be freed after serving 50 percent of their term, while a larger group of convicts with shorter sentences could serve as little as a third of their terms. The rollout of the release scheme has been delayed from September to October to allow additional time for case reviews.

Separately, the government has resisted calls to exempt from early release two men convicted of manslaughter in the death of PC Andrew Harper, a police officer killed in 2019. While the officer’s killers could be freed halfway through their sentences under the scheme, the driver of the vehicle involved, who received a longer sentence, will not be eligible for early release under the current rules. Officials and police representatives continue to consider possible legal challenges related to this aspect of the policy.

The early release plan remains deeply controversial, drawing criticism for perceived leniency towards serious offenders and concerns about its impact on victim confidence and public trust in the criminal justice system. The government maintains that the scheme is necessary to address critical overcrowding in prisons, but both political opponents and campaigners warn that safeguarding public safety and respecting victims’ experiences must remain paramount.