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Child sexual exploitation: Lessons from Keighley
Campaigners have been battling for an investigation into police failings in Keighley on child abuse for almost 25 years – but what is it about this West Yorkshire town that’s led to it becoming such a hub for grooming gangs? ANN CZERNIK investigates

IN JANUARY 2025, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper commissioned an audit led by Baroness Louise Casey to examine existing data and evidence to draw a comprehensive picture of the nature, scale and profile of group-based child sexual abuse offending identified by police and agencies and equip law enforcement with the information and understanding they need to combat these crimes. 

Robbie Moore, MP for Keighley since 2019, told the BBC that “the scale of child sexual abuse and exploitation across the Bradford district is feared to “dwarf that of Rotherham.” 

Moore is adamant that an investigation into Bradford’s handling of child sexual exploitation in his constituency is long overdue. 

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