Statutory Inquiry Into Scottish Grooming Gangs to Start Next Wednesday

The Scottish Government has confirmed that a statutory inquiry into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation will begin next Wednesday. Education secretary Màiri McAllan announced the start date on Thursday, and the inquiry will be chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, who led a landmark abuse inquiry in England and Wales.

It will examine the scale of grooming gangs in Scotland over three decades, including whether state bodies failed and whether abuse was deliberately covered up. Its remit runs from January 1, 1996 to November 11 this year. The inquiry will run alongside the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and avoid duplicating existing review work.

A Truth Project pilot will launch this month ahead of a national rollout next year, giving survivors a way to share their experiences. Campaigners have long demanded a full investigation, and the start of the statutory inquiry marks a significant step in how Scotland responds to historic and ongoing child sexual exploitation.