Former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has claimed that gang-based child sexual exploitation has taken place in at least 85 local authority areas across the UK, following research conducted through his independently funded Rape Gang Inquiry.
Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and former chairman of Southampton Football Club, launched the inquiry earlier this year after the government initially declined to hold one into so-called grooming gangs. The project has since raised more than £600,000 in public donations.
The announcement comes despite Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirming in May that the government would conduct a national inquiry after accepting the recommendations of Baroness Louise Casey’s audit into group-based child sexual abuse.
In a statement released today, Lowe described the research as “one of the most comprehensive exposes of the rape gang scandal to date.” He said the investigation had received testimony from survivors, family members and whistleblowers, and identified “patterns of targeted exploitation by predominantly Pakistani males, combined with gross negligence from public bodies.”
According to the inquiry, cases have been identified across the country, from Aberdeen to Plymouth and from Antrim to Canterbury, with some dating back to the 1960s. Lowe said the team had gathered evidence through thousands of Freedom of Information requests, as well as interviews with victims and families, supported by specialists in safeguarding and therapy.
He added that ongoing cases have been referred to the relevant authorities and that all 85 councils named would be contacted for “full transparency and cooperation.” Hearings are expected to begin later this year, with survivors and experts invited to give evidence before a final report and recommendations are produced.
Our Rape Gang Inquiry has today released research detailing eighty-five local authorities in which the gang-based sexual exploitation of children is taking place, or has historically done so.
This is one of the most comprehensive exposes of the rape gang scandal to date. pic.twitter.com/lRRRaQeuFN
— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) August 26, 2025
Lowe, who was suspended from the Reform UK party in March amid a bullying row, said the findings underscored the need for urgent government action. He accused Labour of inaction since pledging a national inquiry, claiming that “hundreds of thousands of lives have been ruined” and warning against “broken promises” to survivors.
The government has yet to comment on the latest claims from the independent inquiry.
(With inputs from Watford Observer)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
