Fact check: The rape gangs in England were ignored by local police.

1. Summary of the results

The analyses strongly support that rape gangs in England were indeed systematically ignored by local police, with multiple independent sources confirming this conclusion. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) documented systemic failures in recognizing and addressing child sexual exploitation ^[1]. In Rotherham alone, approximately 1,400 children were targeted by grooming gangs between 1997 and 2013, with offenses going unprosecuted despite authorities' awareness ^[1]. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) confirmed "extensive institutional failures" in addressing these crimes ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement omits several crucial contextual factors:

• Timeline and Scale: The abuse was first documented in the early 1990s, spanning over 25 years ^[3], with victims as young as 11 being raped, trafficked, and intimidated.
• Institutional Reasons for Inaction:
• Fear of being labeled racist ^{[3] [4]}
• Contemptuous attitudes toward working-class victims ^[3]
• Desire to protect town reputations and avoid negative publicity ^[2]
• Concern about potential public disorder ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

While the core claim is accurate, the original statement oversimplifies a complex institutional failure that extended beyond just local police. Multiple entities were involved:

• Local Councils: Multiple local inquiries across different UK cities found systematic failures by both police AND local councils ^[6]
• Social Workers: They frequently failed to focus on victims ^[5]
• Child Protection Agencies: These had knowledge of crimes for decades without taking adequate action ^[1]

The statement also fails to acknowledge the demographic aspects of the case, which were significant: the perpetrators were predominantly Pakistani Muslim men targeting young white girls ^[4]. This detail is relevant as it contributed to authorities' reluctance to act due to fears of appearing racist or causing community tensions.