EXCLUSIVE: A new Express/MyLondon investigation has identified 24 shocking cases of grooming gangs across the capital.
A SURVIVOR of a grooming gang linked to notorious serial killer Levi Bellfield has issued a desperate plea demanding justice for victims.
Authorities have been aware of allegations since the investigation into the murder of schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
Crystalla, a survivor who has spent years fighting for action, criticised Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for failing to act.
The infamous bus stop killer and convicted sex offender Suraj Gharu were two of seven men alleged in the 2018 report to have been part of a child sex abuse ring that had at least 17 victims and operated for well over a decade in West London.
The case is one of 24 examples identified by an Express and MyLondon investigation into the scale of the capital’s grooming gang crisis.
Crystalla said she was unhappy with what she saw as previous denials by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about the problem of grooming gangs and questioned how allegations when they involved such a notorious criminal have been forgotten.
“We’re sick of screaming and shouting about it and nothing happening,” the singer/songwriter added. “It’s simple, we want justice for the abuse we’ve suffered at the hands of a group so many people have been aware of. Not only has this grooming gang been public knowledge for the past seven years but Levi Bellfield, one of the most notorious serial killers in British history, was involved.
“What I saw them inflict on my community without consequences was horrific. There were times when I found myself being the one to try and protect girls from exploitation because the people who were supposed to keep them safe let them down. Yet somehow decades later, it is still us taking the risks and the perpetrators not facing justice. Things need to change.
“I’m baffled as to how Sadiq Khan and Mark Rowley could have stood up there and said London didn’t have grooming gangs when they’ve had this report about Levi Bellfield’s Hillingdon gang for seven years. How could they say it? Why?”
The allegations about the Hillingdon gang were first reported in news articles about a safeguarding report from Hillingdon Council’s child sexual exploitation manager, Debbie Weissang, which highlighted the danger posed.
London Grooming Gang Investigation
She made the point that while Bellfield has been long locked away, other alleged members of the group were still at large and pose a serious “risk to children”. She added that the alleged perpetrators believed “they’d done nothing wrong and are untouchable”.
At the time, both the police and the council confirmed they received a safeguarding report and were assessing it and investigating “where appropriate”.
Speaking to the Express, Weissang called for action regarding the men named in her report and efforts to support the women affected.
“I continue to stand by my recommendations made in my report to Children’s Social Care and the Met Police,” she said. “The professional network should always review how the lives of children could be improved for female survivors who are known to Children’s Social Care. Mothers who’ve suffered serious exploitation can feel like they are being blamed for the previous abuse when their children are open to social care. Taking action can make a significant difference and improve the lives of the next generation.”
Our latest investigation found 13 cases from all parts of the capital that Rochdale grooming gangs whistleblower police detective Maggie Oliver said had the same patterns as groups she’d brought to justice.
Extensive research into council documents, reviews into the deaths of children in care and media reports unearthed tragic stories of teenagers taking their lives after suffering horrific sexual exploitation.
Londoner Jade Nurse is a survivor of a grooming gang in High Wycombe. She said she felt like screaming after reading the details of the potential cases in London and the associated failures.
Discussing the three different cases where victims ended their own lives, she said: “That’s happened so many times. So many times I tried to kill myself.
“[It’s why I moved away] I couldn’t deal with it anymore, walking past my perpetrators every single day.
“What we go through is horrible. I’m still trying to get justice now, 18 years down the line, and it’s just a daily fight every day with your mental health.
Levi Bellfield murdered Marsha McDonnell, Amélie Delagrange and Milly Dowler (Image: Getty)
‘Perpetrators see themselves as untouchable’
“Yet these men get to walk around every day with their families living happily. It’s really not fair. Something seriously needs to be done about it.”
She said the patterns of inaction were horribly familiar. Nurse added: “The [gangs] get you so wrapped up you’re even scared to open your mouth or, when you do, you don’t get believed.
“I’ve given DNA and I’ve made reports, and it’s ended up with me getting arrested. This is the reason why we don’t scream and shout anymore, because all of the professionals around us are supposed to be looking after us, but don’t believe us. So how are you meant to fight a system like that?
“The perpetrators see themselves as untouchable because there is no criminal justice coming to them. They are getting away with it.”
One case in Croydon described how an 11-year-old child was described by professionals as being “engaged in sexually harmful behaviour” and “putting herself at risk with older males” before taking her own life at the age of 16.
Another teenager who died by suicide from Haringey in 2012, who was also believed to have been raped aged 12, wrote a letter detailing abduction, gang rape, as well as “numerous pregnancies and miscarriages”. The police did not keep the letter or take any action against the alleged abusers, but instead suggested a specialist officer find out “what her mental state of mind is”.
A week after the Express’s first major investigation into grooming gangs, the Metropolitan Police announced a review of 9,000 potential cases in connection with a Home Office initiative called Operation Beaconport that examines investigations into child sex abuse rings around the country that were previously dropped.
The Express has learned that, prior to this broader reassessment, between January and July, Met had re-examined 922 potential grooming gang cases and submitted 197 to the National Crime Agency, who are running the project. More are likely to be added as each of the 9,000 is reviewed by officers using a broader definition.
Sadiq Khan has been under pressure after insisting there was no evidence of grooming gangs in London (Image: Getty)
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “The Met takes all allegations of child sexual and criminal exploitation extremely seriously, which is why we are currently reviewing around 9,000 cases and have significantly enhanced our approach to identifying and investigating group-based offending since 2022.
“This has led to a threefold increase in solved cases of child sexual exploitation over the past year, resulting in 134 additional suspects being charged.
“Our commitment to safeguarding victims and bringing offenders to justice is why we have launched the review. Officers are continuing with an investigation into alleged child sexual abuse in the Hillingdon area of west London.
“This investigation commenced in 2019 after the Met received a safeguarding report.
“Specialist detectives continue to progress this complex and detailed investigation and recognise the impact on those affected. They remain committed to investigating allegations fully and securing justice.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Any individuals or grooming gangs exploiting children for sex are utterly abhorrent and Sadiq wants justice for every single victim of these horrific crimes. These children have not only suffered terrible abuse at the hands of the perpetrators but have been woefully let down by the authorities meant to protect them from harm.
“Sadiq has led efforts to strengthen the protection of children from exploitation and harm in all its forms in London, including grooming gangs. Since taking office, he has ensured vital investment in specialist services to support child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, and driven forward long-overdue reforms in the way the Met protects children.
“This includes specifically commissioning HMICFRS to independently inspect the Met’s child protection arrangements in 2023 which has led to lasting improvements.
“The Mayor is clear that the Met must follow the evidence wherever it leads. He will continue to support and hold the Met to account to ensure it does everything possible to tackle child sexual exploitation in London, including grooming gangs.”
If you are under 18 and have experienced sexual abuse or exploitation, please enter your postcode on this site to find the nearest service that can help support you: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/find-a-support-service/ Alternatively, if you are already in contact with the police or social care they can make a referral for support to your local service on your behalf.
If you are over 18 and have experienced sexual violence or abuse, you can find out about available support services via the London Survivors Gateway here: https://survivorsgateway.london/.
