Key facts
- Survivors of an Oxford grooming gang say they still see abusers walking freely in the city.
- Three survivors believe "hundreds" of perpetrators are still at large.
- A former detective leading the initial investigation into Oxford grooming gangs agrees that many abusers remain free.
- One survivor, Sarah, was sexually abused and plied with heroin from age 11.
- Another survivor, Rachel, was abused between ages 12 and 15 and trafficked for sex.
- A third survivor, Chloe, has not seen any of her abusers brought to justice.
Survivors of a child sexual abuse and exploitation gang in Oxford have told the BBC's Panorama program that many perpetrators continue to walk freely in the city, with hundreds believed to be still at large. Sarah, one of the survivors, stated that she encounters abusers in everyday places like shops and restaurants.
Sarah, who was sexually abused and plied with heroin from the age of 11, believes her life was "taken" by her abusers. While three men were convicted and jailed in 2020 for abusing her, she feels the sentences were insufficient. Chloe, another survivor, also sees her abusers in her local area and feels distressed when encountering them. Rachel, who was abused between the ages of 12 and 15 and trafficked for sex, was a key witness in a 2013 trial where seven men were convicted. She also believes many perpetrators have not faced consequences.
Former detective Simon Morton, who led the initial investigation into the Oxford grooming gangs, acknowledged that police failed to fully understand the scale of the abuse at first. He stated that while the "core group" of offenders was identified, many others likely remain unpunished due to the difficulty in identification and prosecution. Morton believes this type of abuse is still occurring in Oxford.
Thames Valley Police stated that they work tirelessly to investigate offenders and bring them to justice, encouraging victims to come forward at any time. The government has launched a national inquiry to examine why vulnerable children were not adequately protected in England and Wales, considering factors such as attitudes towards victims and the ethnicity of perpetrators.