Update on "Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs" - advocating for survivor status

On 19th May 2026, the panel for the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs (its official title – not language we have chosen) were questioned by MPs at a Home Affairs Select Committee. The official page for the committee stated this about its purpose:

“Following the announcement of an updated terms of reference in March 2026, the Home Affairs Committee will question the Chair of the inquiry and members of the panel on its structure and ways of working. It will examine how the inquiry will engage with local inquiries, and work with government and other institutions.
Prior to the current chair being appointed, members of the inquiry’s survivors panel resigned and two short-listed chairs resigned amid concerns around how victims’ voices would be heard and the inquiry’s independence secured. The Committee will question the new Chair on how she plans to build trust with victims and survivors and include them in the work of the inquiry.”

Throughout the session the Inquiry’s panel members repeated several times that victims and survivors should be at the heart of the Inquiry. The public stream of the Select Committee commenced with the Chair of the Committee commending the Inquiry panel for their extensive engagement with survivor groups already. How this was communicated to the Committee remains a mystery since there was a closed session before the public stream started in which this appears to have been discussed. If engagement with survivors is so vital to the Inquiry, it is disappointing that how the Inquiry intends to go about this in practice was not discussed in the public domain.

In February, along with my team at TMOF, we took over two dozen survivors to meet with the Inquiry panel members. In an emotionally charged meeting survivors shared their experiences and anger at how they have been failed for years by agencies that should have been there to protect them. Our role here was to make sure that survivors’ experiences, expertise and expectations were communicated to the Inquiry panel, with the hope that these conversations would shape the Inquiry’s approach.

In early March, we submitted extensive comments to the Inquiry’s draft Terms of Reference but have had no response.

In fact, we heard nothing from the Inquiry team until this week. We were only notified about the Select Committee a couple of hours before the session. Again, disappointing at best if survivors are truly supposed to be central to this work.

As we write this, we are trying to schedule a call with the Inquiry team to understand how they intend to consult with survivors on a number of pressing issues including the documents that will govern how the Inquiry interacts with survivors, and how it will consult the survivor community on its criteria for selecting areas that will have local inquiries, the deadline for publication of these criteria not being far off.

Legal Status and Representation for Victims and Survivors

Within a statutory public inquiry, a Core Participant is an individual or organisation with a substantial interest in the proceedings who is legally granted a formal role in the process. Core Participants can take a more active part in the Inquiry than a witness alone. For example, through their legal representatives, they may be able to suggest lines of questioning and be entitled to receive important updates and documents relating to the Inquiry.

This is very different from being a witness. Witnesses can provide evidence or information about their experiences, but they do not usually have the same level of involvement in how the Inquiry is carried out.

Anne Longfield, as the Chair of the Inquiry, has the power to award public funding for the legal representation of witnesses and participants, under Section 40 of the Inquiries Act 2005. This funding can help victims and survivors access specialist legal support and help level the playing field with public bodies like police, social services, councils etc who will have huge legal teams around them.

On 9th April, our legal team wrote to the Inquiry team reiterating the urgent need for victims and survivors to be granted Core Participant status, and for the Chair to make Section 40 funding available so survivors can be properly supported by legal experts to contribute to the Inquiry.

On 15th May, a response was received from the Home Office stating that no decisions on Core Participant status or cover of legal costs have yet been made and subsequently responded. Copies of these letters are below. Please take time to read them and form your own opinion on whether to approach so far has put survivors at its heart.

We understand that the statutory inquiry only formally began its work on 13th April, but it was announced on 15th June 2025. Almost a year ago. Those agencies and organisations which will need to defend their actions have had all of this time to work with their legal teams to come up with strategies for their approach to the Inquiry. This stark imbalance between survivors and the agencies that harmed them is unacceptable and must be addressed urgently.

We will continue to fight for both Core Participant status and legal funding for survivors.