UK Police Data Shows Majority of Grooming Gang Offences Committed by White Men

Recent data from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) reveals that the majority of child sexual grooming gang offences in the UK are committed by white men, contrary to recent claims by Elon Musk. In the first three quarters of 2024, where ethnicity data was available, 85% of offenders in “group-based” child sexual abuse cases were white, slightly higher than the 83% recorded in 2023. In contrast, Pakistani offenders accounted for just 3.9% of the cases in 2024, up from 2.7% in 2023.

The NPCC emphasized that the ethnicity data reflects broader societal trends and is not indicative of any specific ethnic group being disproportionately involved in such crimes. Richard Fewkes, director of the NPCC’s Hydrant programme, stated that there is no “significant issue” with any particular ethnicity or setting. This comes after Elon Musk used his platform to make false accusations against British-Pakistani men and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had been involved in prosecuting grooming gang offenders when he was the head of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Recent political debates have seen figures like Nigel Farage call for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, with an emphasis on Pakistani men. However, the NPCC data shows that white men remain the predominant group involved in these crimes. When removing institutional and family-related abuse data, the figures still show that the majority of grooming gang suspects were white.

The NPCC cautioned against focusing too much on any single ethnic group, as it risks marginalizing victims of other forms of sexual abuse. Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs stressed the importance of addressing all forms of child sexual abuse, regardless of the ethnicity of the perpetrators, and said that recent headlines might make victims of other types of abuse feel their crimes are less valid.

The NPCC’s data serves as a reminder that grooming gangs and child sexual abuse are not confined to one ethnic group, and any investigation into the issue should be based on facts, not political rhetoric. The police continue to highlight the need to support all victims while tackling abuse in all its forms.