The sexual crime figures in the British capital reactivate the debate over so-called “grooming gangs”.
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Official crime statistics set off alarm bells in the United Kingdom after it became known that 746 rape complaints were registered in London during January, equivalent to almost one case every 60 minutes in the British capital.
The data come from public records of the Metropolitan Police Service, which allow us to measure the scope of the problem in the different districts of the metropolitan area. The territorial breakdown shows that the incidence is especially concentrated in some areas of the interior of the city
. Metropolitan Police Service.
The Southwark district topped the list with 41 complaints during the month, followed by Tower Hamlets and Haringey, both with 40 cases. Further behind was Croydon, with 39 complaints, while other districts such as Newham, Lambeth and Lewisham also more than
thirty cases registered in January.
Even in areas with a lower population density or a lower crime incidence, the numbers continue to be relevant. Kingston upon Thames registered 12 complaints, Richmond upon Thames had 11, while Bexley and Harrow
reported 10 cases each.
In addition to these figures, other official data obtained through requests for access to public information are added. According to those records, 780 people were investigated for rape crimes in London during 2023. Within that group, 229 were foreign citizens, while in seven cases nationality could not be determined.
The figures reactivated the debate over the so-called “grooming gangs”, organized sexual exploitation networks that have led to various scandals in the United Kingdom over the past few decades. In several of these cases, the existence of criminal structures that operated for years to capture and sexually exploit minors was investigated.
The debate against Muslim immigration is growing.
In this context, a recent report from the Policy Exchange think tank warned that in some scandals the authorities were slow to intervene or investigate in depth for fear of facing accusations of racism or Islamophobia. The document particularly recalled the case of Rotherham, where for years a network of mass sexual exploitation operated that affected hundreds of victims before the institutions reacted firmly
.
According to the report, political pressure and fear of public controversy may have contributed to delaying the action of state agencies in the face of this type of criminal network.
