Oxford grooming gang survivors say hundreds of abusers still free

September 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM2 min

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Survivors of an Oxford grooming gang say they still see men who sexually abused them walking around the city. Sarah, Chloe and Rachel believe hundreds of perpetrators remain free, a view shared by the ex-police detective who led the initial investigation. The government has launched a national inquiry into why vulnerable children were not protected in England and Wales.

Key Facts

Sarah was sexually abused and plied with heroin from the age of 11, and three men were jailed for between five and 24 years in 2020 after she testified against them.
Chloe chose not to go through a police investigation and says she still sees some of her abusers in her local area, including in the supermarket.
Rachel, abused between the ages of 12 and 15, was a key witness in the first trial of Oxford grooming gang members in 2013, when seven men were convicted.
A 2015 estimate put the number of children affected by grooming in Oxford at more than 370.

Survivor Accounts

Sarah says she was sexually abused and plied with heroin from the age of 11. More than two decades later, three men were found guilty of abusing her after she testified against them in court. They were jailed for between five and 24 years in 2020. Sarah, who has battled drug addiction for most of her life and has spent time in jail, says the gang had 'taken her life'. Chloe, another survivor, says she sees some of her abusers in her local area, including in the supermarket and driving around.

Scale of Abuse

The first trial of Oxford grooming gang members in 2013 revealed the grooming, trafficking and rape of six girls over an eight-year period in the city. Seven men were convicted in that trial. Subsequent prosecutions identified many more victims, and it was estimated in 2015 that more than 370 children were affected. Gangs of men were found to have sexually exploited and abused underage girls in several towns and cities, including Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford, between the 1990s and 2010s.

Official Response

The government has launched a national inquiry to address why vulnerable children were not protected in England and Wales. The inquiry will examine whether attitudes to the girls or the ethnicity of the perpetrators contributed to the failings. In Oxford, a serious case review found no evidence that fear of being seen as racist had been a factor in police hesitation. In some cases, such as in Rotherham, police were accused of hesitating to act out of fear of being seen as racist.