A landmark report by Baroness Casey, released on 16 June 2025, has shone a powerful spotlight on the deeply entrenched institutional failures surrounding the handling of child grooming gangs across England and Wales. Among its most critical findings, the report identifies significant injustices involving victims who were not only failed by the criminal justice system but subsequently denied compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).
Key Findings of the Audit
Baroness Casey’s audit, commissioned by the UK government, identified systemic problems such as incomplete nationwide data collection, institutional reluctance to record offender ethnicity due to perceived sensitivities, and profound inadequacies in inter-agency communication. The report also highlighted the continuing presence of group-based child sexual exploitation in various forms, including online grooming and exploitation through county lines drug trafficking.
Geographic Focus on Greater Manchester
The audit specifically highlights Greater Manchester, covering areas such as Rochdale and Oldham, as one of the regions most significantly affected by grooming gang activities. Here, the report identified a disproportionate involvement of men from Asian backgrounds, notably British-Pakistani men, underscoring critical shortcomings in local law enforcement and child protection responses.
Injustice in Criminal Convictions and Compensation
Of particular concern to legal practitioners and victim advocates is the audit’s revelation that many victims of child grooming gangs have unjustly been criminalised. Often coerced into committing offences by their abusers, these children subsequently received criminal convictions that, under existing CICA guidelines, disqualified them from receiving compensation.
Baroness Casey described this situation as a “systemic injustice”. She underscored that the denial of compensation compounded the trauma suffered by victims, penalising them instead of providing necessary support and restitution.
Recommended Reforms Affecting CICA
Addressing these glaring failures, the Casey audit outlines comprehensive recommendations, including:
- Vacating Criminal Convictions: Automatic reviews and vacation of criminal convictions for exploited victims to remove unjust barriers to compensation.
- Reform of CICA Guidelines: Adjusting eligibility criteria to ensure compensation is not unjustly withheld from victims coerced into crime as part of their exploitation.
- Improved Victim Support: Ensuring robust, trauma-informed support structures accompany compensation reforms to facilitate comprehensive victim recovery.
These proposals align closely with earlier recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), highlighting a consensus around the urgent need for reform.
Government Response and Next Steps
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has formally apologised to victims and announced acceptance of all 12 recommendations. The government has launched a statutory three-year national inquiry and committed to overhauling existing processes to better support victims of exploitation.
The National Crime Agency has confirmed it will revisit approximately 800 cases previously closed or mishandled, indicating significant institutional recognition of past injustices and an earnest commitment to remedying these failures.
GLP’s Commitment to Supporting Victims
At GLP Solicitors, based in Greater Manchester, we welcome the audit’s recommendations, particularly those advocating for meaningful reform within CICA processes. Given our locality, we are especially aware of the importance of addressing these historic injustices comprehensively. We understand from extensive experience supporting victims of violent crime that fair and equitable compensation is a crucial component in their journey towards recovery and justice.
Our specialist teams continue to monitor developments closely and stand ready to assist victims who may have previously been unjustly denied compensation due to wrongful criminal convictions.
If you or someone you know has been affected by these issues, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced team for confidential advice and guidance.
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