London, Oldham, Bradford and Keighley will be the first areas investigated by a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The £65million probe is investigating how the grooming gangs operated and how public institutions including the police, councils, health services, social care services and schools responded.
Today’s announcement confirms which areas will first face so-called local investigations – where serious failures have been identified in response to child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs.
Former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield is heading up the inquiry, which has the legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence and requires organisations to hand over documents.
Any evidence of
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