Safeguarding Review to Be Undertaken Following Convictions of Five Members of a North Wales Grooming Gang

Five members of a gang in North Wales have been convicted following a Police investigation into Child Sexual Exploitation of three teenage girls. North Wales Safeguarding Board have since committed their intention to review the actions of organisations involved, particularly North Wales Police, over concerns that they failed to act on information made available in 2022.

Between 2022-2024, the young girls were targeting by the gang members, often at a local coffee shop owned by two of the members. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old, and were often taken out by the men. They were given cannabis and encouraged to play ‘spin the bottle’, often leading to various acts of sexual assault. One of the victims described being given crack cocaine.

During the trial, the gang members were heard blaming their victims, and minimising the offences. As a result of the abuse, some of the victims reported experiencing significant mental health problems, which was made worse by the experience of facing the trial.

The five members of the gang were convicted in August 2026 for more than 40 offences, including rape, sexual assault, trafficking and drug supply. They received a combined total of more than 80 years.

The convictions followed linked investigations Operation Embank and Operation Zirconium. It was heard that an investigation was commenced in 2022 by the Police, but dropped, apparently due to evidential issues. The trial judge highlighted this as a “failure to take action” of the Police.

The North Wales Safeguarding Board have announced that they will continue with their Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR), which will be carried out in accordance with National guidance. The aim is to gather information about the involvement of the young girls, as well as the involvement of practitioners and agencies who had direct involvement with the victims.

Reviews such as this provide vital information to the public and agencies about how grooming can take place, and what learning and support is needed to prevent further abuse. The review is understood to take around 12 months to complete.

The review will no doubt be welcomed by these victims of this sexual exploitation, as well as other victims of child sexual exploitation in North Wales, where it will be key for the Police and agencies to learn from mistakes.

Unfortunately, at Farleys we hear all too often from victims of sexual exploitation that referrals or disclosures to agencies falls on deaf ears. What is most disappointing in this case, is that, had the investigation been successful in 2022, further sexual exploitation may have been prevented.  It will be interesting to see what failures, if any, the review identifies, and what the impact of this will be.

Farleys have a dedicated team who act on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation, in claims for compensation against Local Authorities the Police, organisations, and Criminal Injury Compensation Authority Claims. This includes cases where the Police have failed to act and investigate legitimate cases of sexual exploitation.

If you have been the victim of child sexual abuse and/or exploitation, and would like to discuss bringing a potential claim for compensation, you can discuss your case in confidence calling our dedicated abuse claims line on 01254 606008. Alternatively, you can contact us by email or through the online chat below.