Since the Inquiry was announced, we have made it a priority to ensure that victims’ and survivors’ experiences and views are at the heart of everything we do.
When we launched our Victims and Survivors Charter in June, developed in partnership with victims and survivors, we committed to updating you regularly with the Inquiry’s work and our next steps. You can find more information about the Charter on the Victims and Survivors Hub on the Inquiry’s website, which sets out our commitment to listening, involving and support victims and survivors throughout the Inquiry.
Listening to Victims and Survivors
Through our discussions with victims and survivors across the country, we have heard about the impact of abuse on survivors and what could have been done differently by institutions. We want to ensure that you can feel comfortable sharing your experiences in ways that work for you. That is why we launched our National Listening Project in July, offering a range of options for victims and survivors to share their experiences directly with our team. You can find out more about the National Listening Project and the support we are providing on our website.
The first stage of the National Listening Project is now live, and soon people will also be able to share video recordings and voice notes. In the autumn, we will also be starting one-to-one conversations with survivors who want to speak with us about their experience in more detail. These conversations will be led by staff who are trained to provide emotional support.
We know that talking about what happened can be upsetting and traumatising, and we want everyone who comes forward to feel supported, respected and heard. Beyond the one-to-one conversations, we will be making emotional support available throughout our engagement.
Core Participant Applications
Applications for Core Participant status in relation to the Inquiry’s National Accountability Hearings remain open. The deadline for applications from victim and survivor organisations, representative groups, and individual victims and survivors has been extended by two weeks and will now close at 5pm on 28 August 2026.
We have recently updated our Protocol on Core Participants to provide further clarity on applications, including how applications from victim and survivor organisations, representative groups and individual victims and survivors will be considered.
Shaping the work of the Inquiry
Many victims and survivors have told us they want to help shape our work, not simply be consulted after decisions have been made. Key parts of the Inquiry, including our Terms of Reference, the National Listening Project, the Victim and Survivor Charter and Hub, as well as the support we provide, have already been shaped by victims and survivors.
During July, we have continued to meet victims and survivors, and support groups, including in West Yorkshire, Telford, Oldham, and Leeds. These meetings have also included victims and survivors from across the country. Every meeting we have helps us better understand the impact of grooming and exploitation, where victims and survivors were failed, and what they want the Inquiry to focus on.
What victims and survivors have told us
While every experience is different, some common themes have emerged.
Survivors continue to tell us how they were not believed when they reported what was happening, sometimes with devastating consequences. Many say they felt ignored or dismissed by the very people who could have protected them and were not supported when they needed help most.
We have heard about the impact on mental health, relationships, family life, confidence and employment, and how the care system failed to protect children, including many girls and young women.
We know that the impact of grooming is something that continues throughout life. Many survivors speak to us about the challenges they face as parents, while others described the difficulty of rebuilding their lives.
Many also raise the problem of criminal convictions linked to their exploitation and it is clear these convictions continue to affect lives many years later. Baroness Louise Casey, who recommended this Inquiry in her 2025 National Audit on grooming gangs, recently highlighted this issue, and called for convictions of victims who were criminalised when they should have been protected to be quashed. This is an important issue which we will be considering at our hearings.
Another very regular recurring concern raised with us is the lack of long-term support. Survivors tell us that support is often difficult to find and can sometimes disappear when it is most needed. We have been told how support available during a criminal trial can be withdrawn shortly afterwards, despite this being one of the most difficult periods for a victim and survivor. Accessing ongoing mental health or specialist support can also be extremely challenging.
A very current concern that victims and survivors have expressed is about the possibility of offenders being released from prison early. Many have described to us the distress of receiving letters informing them that those who abused them could be considered for early release. At a recent meeting, we promised to write to the Home Secretary about the impact this was having, and we have done so.
Looking ahead
The Inquiry is laser-focused on finding answers to the question of why this was allowed to happen, and continue to happen, and ensuring it cannot be allowed to happen in the future.
In June, the Inquiry announced the first local areas we will investigate, alongside plans for national public hearings. We have already written to local councils, health services and other organisations in these areas to highlight the need for appropriate support as our work continues. We know our investigations may encourage more people to come forward, and it is important that support services are ready.
Over the coming months, we will continue reaching out to victims and survivors across the country. We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to be heard. That’s why the National Listening Project is so important.
Thank you
We would like to thank everyone who has engaged with the Inquiry so far, especially the victims and survivors who have shared their experiences, insights and suggestions with us. We know that speaking about these issues can be difficult, and deeply appreciate the courage and trust shown by those who have come forward.
Your contributions are helping to shape our work and will continue to inform the Inquiry as it progresses.
Baroness Anne Longfield CBE
Chair, The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Zoë Billingham CBE
Panellist, The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Eleanor Kelly CBE
Panellist, The Statutory Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
