More than 1,000 grooming gang suspects being investigated by Britain's police forces
The staggering number is exposed by a report by the police inspectorate into how the force at the centre of the Rochdale grooming scandal handles such cases today.
It was commissioned after an inquiry last year found that callous paedophiles were left free to groom a new generation of victims because police and council bosses ignored the abuse of scores of young girls.
At the time, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson acknowledged the findings were 'shameful' and issued a 'heartfelt apology' to victims.
Today's findings come after Sir Keir Starmer staged a U-turn and agreed to a national inquiry into Asian grooming gangs following a hard-hitting report by Baroness Louise Casey.
She condemned public bodies for covering up sickening evidence about the ethnicity of rapists preying on thousands of vulnerable girls 'for fear of appearing racist'.
Today's report praises how Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has improved how it investigates child sexual grooming offences, saying it now has large and well-resourced teams.
Mohammed Zahid, 64 (left), ringleader of the latest Asian grooming gang convicted of exploiting young girls in Rochdale
Today's report was commissioned by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to examine how the force investigates allegations of child criminal and sexual exploitation.
While praising an overall improvement, it says some investigators need additional training.
Additionally it highlights gaps in joining up police, NHS and social services records of vulnerable children.
It also said that of 74 children who last year's report found were likely to have been left to be sexually exploited between 2003 and 2013 despite coming forward, ten had not received 'an appropriate level of service' from GMP.
Some of these may have lost trust in the police due to 'victim-blaming' language being used at the time, it says.
Inspector of Constabulary Michelle Skeer said: 'It is clear that that the force has for many years been trying to provide a better service to those who have or may have experienced sexual exploitation.
'But for some, trust and confidence in the police had been lost, and the force would not be able to rectify their experiences.'
Responding to the latest report, along with a new Ofsted review into child protection across Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham said the findings meant 'people can have confidence that today's approach is fit for purpose'.
'I am confident in my view that the Greater Manchester system is in a demonstrably different and far stronger place today than it was when the failings happened,' he added.
Sir Stephen acknowledged that victims were 'failed in the past' but said the report showed 'significant improvements' had been made.
'We owe it both to those abused in the past and to our children today to sustain this most pressing of priorities and I give my commitment to do just that,' he said.
'To those who are responsible for these repugnant crimes – as is now very apparent – we will pursue you relentlessly.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14869425/grooming-gang-suspects-investigated-largest-police-forces.html
Seven members of the latest Rochdale Asian grooming gang have been convicted of exploiting two young girls as 'sex slaves'. Mohammed Zahid, 64, is seen in a police interview
Mohammed Zahid, 64, who was the gang's ringleader and had a stall at Rochdale's indoor market
Top row, left to right: Kasir Bashir, Mohammed Shahzad; middle row, left to right: Mushtaq Ahmed, Roheez Khan; bottom row, left to right: Naheem Akram, Nisar Hussain
ROTHERHAM: MailOnline spoke to locals in the South Yorkshire town earlier this week
Zafran Ramzan and Adil Hussain were members of a gang which groomed girls to believe they were in relationships and force them to have sex in cars and parks across Rotherham
Umar Razaq and Mohsin Khan were among the first Rotherham groomers to be imprisoned
Razwan Razaq was found guilty of raping a child under the age of 16 and jailed
Mohammed Ali Sultan was one of the leaders of a gang that sexually exploited and abused girls in Telford
Ahdel Ali and Mubarek Ali trafficked girls for sex in Telford
Politicians and members of the Pakistani government have prevented Qari Abdul Rauf, pictured, and Adil Khan from being deported back to Pakistan
Adil Khan got a girl pregnant but denied he was the father, then met another girl and trafficked her to others
Grooming gang member Abdul Aziz was jailed in 2012 for abusing children
Rauf with three other members of the Rochdale grooming gang, Shabir Ahmed (top left), Adil Khan (top right) and Abdul Aziz (bottom left)
Kamar Jamil was handed a life sentence for his role in a sadistic gang in Oxford which groomed girls as young as 12 over eight years
This gang, five of Pakistani origin and two of north African origin, believed they 'owned Oxford' during their years of abusing children
(From left to right) Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Kamar Jamil, Assad Hussain, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar and Zeeshan Ahmed were found guilty in 2013 of a catalogue of charges involving vulnerable underage girls who were groomed for sexual exploitation
Convicted paedophile Mubarek Ali, who called himself Max, raped and pimped one of his victims out over several years
His victim, now 32, only came forward after Ali had been sentenced along with six others, including his brother Ahdel, then 25, for sexual crimes against teenagers in the Shropshire town of Telford in 2012
In a harrowing witness statement, the victim described how predatory paedophile Mubarek Ali (pictured) plied her with vodka and Red Bull, raped her in several locations and took her to restaurants where men would be 'queuing up' to abuse her
Mubarek Ali, 41, has been sentenced to another 12 years in prison after he admitted he had groomed, raped, and pimped out the 'vulnerable' girl for years alongside nearly 100 others, all from Telford, Shropshire
Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 42, (pictured) was jailed for 23 years at Sheffield Crown Court in 2018 for sexual offences against three vulnerable victims between 1998 and 2005
Tayab Dad (top left), Amjad Ali (bottom right), and Matloob Hussain (bottom left) have already been released. Just the ringleader, Basharat Dad (top right), will remain behind bars if Nasar Dad (top centre) and Mohammed Sadiq (bottom centre) are freed by the parole board in upcoming hearings
Basharat Dad may be the last gang member remaining in prison following parole hearings for two of his gang mates.
Hundreds or thousands more pictures could have been added
