Men of Pakistani origin in England and Wales are reported to be up to four times more likely to be involved in child sex grooming offenses than the general population, according to data from a national police initiative released last week.
The perpetrators of some of the most notorious child abuse cases in recent British history, including the scandals in Rochdale, Rotherham, and Telford, were predominantly of Pakistani origin. While sexual abuse occurs across all demographics, insufficient attention has been paid to how grooming gangs are influenced by anti-women customs from Pakistan.
Most British-Pakistanis trace their roots to Mirpur, a city in northern Pakistan, which is geographically part of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir but culturally and linguistically linked to the Punjabi ethnic group, the majority in Pakistan.
Pakistan is characterized by a blend of Islamic supremacism, tribalism, and misogyny, which contributes to a culture where some men exploit girls. The fact that these girls are underage holds little significance for many perpetrators, as their cultural and religious views regard any girl who has reached puberty as a fully grown woman. This mindset perpetuates a rape culture that, in recent decades, has led to the systematic abuse of young British girls. Sexual harassment by Pakistani men has also been reported in other countries, including Turkey.
Pakistan's sexist culture is rooted in distorted ideas of ‘honour’ and ‘morality,’ where women are viewed as property under male control. Traditionally, ‘honourable’ women maintain strict segregation and minimize their public presence. Any perceived transgressions by women are viewed as immoral, often resulting in violence. The Islamic codes of modesty, which dictate that women cover themselves to avoid harassment, further reinforce the notion that a woman’s ‘honour’ is tied to her invisibility. Additionally, Islamic traditions that normalize sexual slavery contribute to the tactics of ‘loverboy’ abuse.
In many instances, Pakistani grooming gangs in the UK specifically targeted non-Muslim Caucasian girls, who were seen as having lower ‘honour.’ This was compounded by a pervasive ‘white woman fantasy’ in Pakistan’s popular culture, where European women are often depicted as promiscuous and eager to pursue relationships with desi men. Pakistani media frequently portrays Western women as ‘loose,’ further reinforcing the idea that British girls are ‘easy targets.’
Rape culture and the trivialization of sexual abuse are not limited to rural or tribal areas in Pakistan. Former military leader Pervez Musharraf accused women of using rape to make money, while Imran Khan, as prime minister, blamed the way women dress and their lifestyle choices for the rise in rape cases. Khan remains widely popular among overseas Pakistanis, including in the UK, where his playboy persona and later conservative political stance have become a model for many young men.
In the UK, there has been public outrage over the fact that these appalling child abuse cases persisted for decades, partly due to political correctness and fear of fueling racial tensions. It is only now that Pakistani grooming gangs are being openly identified. They are no longer being generalized as ‘Asian’ or ‘South Asian,’ since it is clear that most offenders are from one particular group.
While the failure of British authorities to protect young girls from grooming gangs is deeply concerning, a crucial element is missing in efforts to prevent these crimes in the future. There must be a stronger backlash against these acts within the Pakistani community. Although many progressive Pakistanis denounce domestic violence, they often remain silent when such crimes occur in the UK, fearing accusations of racism or ‘Islamophobia.’ For many of these progressive voices, preserving the illusion of cultural equivalence seems more important than securing justice for victims and preventing further atrocities. It would be more productive to speak out against these crimes than to deflect blame elsewhere.
5 Key Points Explaining the Pattern of UK Grooming Gangs
Men in Taxi Cabs Arriving to Pick Up Young Girls
According to a 2023 BBC report, many instances of this abuse began with men running takeaways or driving taxis within the "nighttime economy." These men, who had a network of vehicles, targeted girls who were out late.
A year-long investigation in 2014 uncovered that, between 1997 and 2013, at least 1,400 children—some as young as 11—were groomed for sexual exploitation in Rotherham, England. Local authorities had ignored the abuse for years. Similar criminal networks were later uncovered in other parts of England, sparking widespread outrage.
An independent inquiry into these crimes in Rotherham reached similar conclusions.
“Schools have raised the alert over the years about children as young as 11, 12 and 13 being picked up outside schools by cars and taxis, given presents and mobile phones and taken to meet large numbers of unknown males in Rotherham, other local towns and cities, and further,” stated the enquiry report.
First to Showcase Fancy Cars and Expensive Gifts
According to a 2019 report by The Guardian, many victims were ensnared by gang members who enticed them with promises of cash, designer clothing, and luxury cars. The report also revealed that vulnerable girls were targeted by offering an illusion of a romantic relationship, which ultimately led to their sexual exploitation.
Girls as young as 11 were often manipulated into believing these men were their boyfriends, lured by flashy lifestyles, sports cars, and gifts.
The way survivors were brainwashed was shared by Alison, one of the survivors, who was involved with an older man. When the age gap was addressed, she said, “He’s a really nice bloke and has a sports car, goes out for meals and everyone’s jealous of her," as Jayne Senior, the whistleblower in the Rotherham cases, writes in her book Broken and Betrayed.
This man, pretending to be her boyfriend, then coerced Alison into having sex with his brother.
In many instances, the girls were exploited by several older men, being transported from one location to another in taxis.
Minors Who Became Addicted to Alcohol and Drugs
For these girls, the gradual exposure to alcohol and drugs was a part of the cycle. Thousands of girls were introduced to substances, which led to addiction. Afterward, they were trafficked and sexually exploited.
"The guys [of the grooming gang] would come by, put me in a car and take me away for the night, or longer. Sometimes I would disappear for days at a time. The booze and all the drugs wiped me out for hours,” a survivor writes in her book, Prey: My Fight to Survive the Halifax Grooming Gang, recalling how the pick-ups became so frequent that she barely spent any time at home.
The report on grooming gang cases in Rotherham also highlights several instances where young girls were drugged. These girls, primarily in their early teens, were exploited for drug smuggling and trafficking.
"Some of the young women who were being sexually exploited were subject to violence, rape, gang rape, kidnap, carrying drugs, dealing drugs, and found in situations where firearms were present," the report said.
From the Facade of Love to the Horror of Burning Girls Alive
A man initially used a handgun to impress a young girl, but later turned it on her, using it to threaten her.
The gangs also enlisted younger relatives to attract the girls. These men posed as their boyfriends, gathering information about the girls, which was then exploited by older men who subjected them to severe abuse.
“Such men were and are clever. They did not approach the girls themselves. In fact, they used boys to carry out the initial pick-ups. These boys were often paid to do such work and would run errands for the seniors, including the delivery of drugs,” writes the Rotterham whistleblower, Senior.
In one tragic case, a young girl, Lucy Lowe, was set on fire and killed alongside her teenage sister and mother at their Telford home by the man who had groomed her and fathered a child with her. At the time of her murder, Lucy was pregnant for the second time.
Lucy had been groomed by taxi driver Azhar Ali Mehmood when she was just 12 years old. In 2000, he murdered Lucy, her 17-year-old sister, and her 49-year-old mother by setting their home ablaze.
This horrific incident in Telford was later used by grooming gangs to manipulate and control other girls.
Death Threats and Institutional Incompetence
The Telford Enquiry into Lucy Lowe's murder exposes particularly harsh threats.
A mix of drugs, intimidation, and psychological manipulation was used to keep the survivors trapped in a cycle of exploitation by these older men.
One survivor recounted calling the police and explaining, "About six or seven Asian men came to my house. They threatened my mum, saying they’d petrol bomb our house if we didn’t drop the charges."
However, in a recurring pattern, authorities in Telford turned a blind eye. An independent review published in 2022 revealed that police officers referred to parts of the town as a "no-go area."
That said, the council did take some action, enforcing stricter licenses in 2006.
Still, media reports indicate that the police’s response to the victims has largely been dismissive.
"[Child] has no credibility - very often it is her word against [sic] the perpetrators and very often she does not co-operate," reads a report, according to the BBC. "Believe she is making life choices. " There are never any witnesses or third parties," it added.
A 2022 report by Manchester's Labour mayor, Andy Burnham, revealed that between 2011 and 2014, authorities in Oldham failed children in their care.
Some girls, such as Katrin, who approached the police, were further threatened by their abusers to discourage them from taking action. One police officer even advised her against pursuing legal action against her abusers.
There has been widespread outrage over the decades-long abuse of thousands of girls in the UK by grooming gangs of Pakistani-origin men. What is clear is that a consistent pattern of abuse was overlooked by the authorities, allegedly due to concerns about cultural sensitivity and the risk of racial tensions.
Source: The Spectator, India Today
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