Overview
- The inquiry, which published its terms Tuesday, will examine whether perpetrators’ ethnicity, culture or religion shaped offending and official responses.
- The scope is limited to group-based child sexual exploitation since 2000, defined as abuse involving two or more connected offenders.
- The inquiry holds statutory powers to compel witnesses and documents, with suspected professional crimes referred to Operation Beaconport for investigation.
- Local investigations will run only in selected areas with serious failures, with Oldham confirmed as the first and the panel now setting selection criteria.
- Public hearings will be live-streamed with transcripts and rolling findings, while survivor groups voice distrust after reports of a seven-month delay in evidence-preservation notices.