Oral Question·Ministry of Justice
“What steps her Department is taking to support victims of grooming gangs through the court system.”
Tabled: 2 July 2025Answered: 8 July 2025
Asked by
John Lamont
Conservative — Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Justice
Answer from Hansard
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Shabana Mahmood)
The sexual exploitation and rape of children by grooming gangs is one of the darkest moments in this country’s recent history. In the Crime and Policing Bill, we have made grooming a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing for child sexual offences, and we have accepted all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations, including changing the criminal law to ensure that adults who penetrate children under 16 are charged with rape.