Greater Manchester Police investigating 1,000 grooming gang suspects, watchdog says
More than 1,000 grooming gang suspects under investigation in Manchester police probe
- Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has made significant improvements in investigating child grooming gangs and child sexual abuse, according to a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
- The force is currently investigating 59 live cases involving 714 victims and 1,099 suspects, with 300 officers dedicated to these multi-victim, multi-offender cases.
- GMP established a dedicated Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team (CSE MIT) in 2021, treating child sexual exploitation with the same tactics as serious and organised crime.
- To date, these investigations have resulted in 42 convictions and over 430 years of imprisonment for offenders, with more trials scheduled and investigations ongoing.
- While acknowledging past mistakes, the report noted some ongoing challenges, including training gaps and issues with data sharing from local councils.