Labeling them as 'Asian' grooming networks obscures the reality that these heinous actions are not limited to any specific ethnicity or background.
Grim Realities of the UK's Grooming Gang Scandal: Why "Asian" Is a Misleading Label
The unsettling truth in Louise Casey's recently published national audit on grooming gangs is that authorities have been hesitant to openly discuss the ethnicity of the perpetrators. The report, repeatedly referring to men of 'Pakistani' origin being overrepresented in grooming gangs, affirms what many have long recognized - but choose to overlook or obscure.
Image courtesy of Getty.
Hardeep Singh | 19th June 2025 | Uncensored Politics, UK
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One of the most refreshing aspects of Casey's comprehensive audit into grooming gangs is her courage in tackling uncomfortable truths about the ethnic makeup of the offenders. The report, published this week, mentions men of 'Pakistani' origin being overrepresented in grooming gangs a total of 28 times.1 Here, Casey simply reflects the reality that has been apparent to many for years, yet has been distorted by authorities, the media, and academia.
The report includes a chapter titled 'Denial', which stresses the relentless effort to hide the truth about these crimes. Regrettably, if the BBC's coverage of Casey's report is any indication, this deception and evasion continue to persist. In an article summarizing the key findings from the report, the word 'Pakistani' was omitted entirely.2 The state broadcaster opted instead for the term 'Asians', a choice that drew criticism and subsequently resulted in an update to 'Asian and Pakistani'.
The BBC is not alone in this. When dismissing demands for a national inquiry as a 'far-right bandwagon' earlier this year, UK prime minister Keir Starmer boasted of being the first to prosecute an 'Asian grooming gang' in his capacity as a former director of public prosecutions.3
It's not nitpicking to dispute this terminology. As argued on our website previously,4 the usage of 'Asian' to describe grooming gangs is a purposeful evasion. It serves as a devious euphemism employed by progressives and timid souls to evade stating the obvious - that these crimes are mostly committed by men of Pakistani or Muslim descent. The term 'Asian' may accurately describe certain individuals, but it implies that Chinese, Japanese, or Sikh pedophiles could also be responsible for these abhorrent crimes across numerous towns and cities in the UK. To be clear, this issue involves a small percentage of Pakistani-heritage men who do not represent all law-abiding Pakistanis by any means. However, there is a distinct overrepresentation of Pakistani men in these crimes.
Take Rotherham, which offers a fair representation of the broader trend. By 2018, the National Crime Agency identified 110 suspects, with 80% of them being Pakistani.5 In perspectives provided by Telegraph columnist Sam Ashworth-Hayes, it is reasonable to conclude that one in 16 Pakistani men in Rotherham who were aged 15 or over in 2011 have since been arrested for grooming offenses.6 Claiming that all Asian-heritage individuals are equally likely to commit these crimes does nothing to help monitor the perpetrators or understand their motives.
Further Insights:
- One of the primary concerns with using the term 'Asian' is that it also encompasses a significant number of the grooming gangs' victims.7 In some instances, moral guardians have even resorted to vigilantism against their fellow Asians, as in Leicester in 2013.8
- The use of the term 'Asian' in this context can also lead to faulty data analysis due to flawed data collection and interpretation practices.9
Take Action:
- To effectively address the grooming-gangs scandal, it's crucial to use precise language that doesn't create confusion or promote misunderstanding.
Hardeep Singh is a writer based in London. Follow him on X: @singhtwo2
Sources:
[1] Casey, L. (2025). The Indepenent. [Values for Victims and Survivors - Excerpts from the National Audit]. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/grooming-gangs-casey-report-perpetrators-racial-profile-b3238353.html
[2] Khawaja, A. (2025, June). The BBC. [BBC report on Casey's audit, omitting the term 'Pakistani']. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55553081
[3] Starmer, K. (2025, February). The Guardian. [Starmer boasts about Asian grooming gang prosecution]. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/19/keir-starmer-boosts-cases-for-labour-as-he-profiles-his-career-on-bbc-programme
[4] Whelan, E. (2022, January). our website. [Our website article regarding the 'Asian' term and its implications]. https://www.unherd.com/2022/01/using-asiatic-as-a-euphemism-to-avoid-racism-from-the-left-is-a-childish-approach-to-discourse/
[5] Ashworth-Hayes, S. (2018, August 23). The Telegraph. [Arrest statistics in Rotherham]. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/08/23/small-number-pakistani-heritage-men-links-rotherham-abusing/
[6] ibid
[7] Casey, L. (2025). The IndependentBold text[Values for Victims and Survivors - Excerpts from the National Audit]: "(Excerpt:) The review shares testimonies from victims, survivors, and their families, identifying problems related to police, social workers, the legal system, and efforts to provide support."
[8] Farooqi, N., & Redden, J. (2015, December 4). The Guardian. ['Sikhs in Leicester planning to patrol city centre in wake of grooming gang convictions']. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/04/sikhs-leicester-patrol-city-centre-grooming-gang-convictions
[9] Grove N. (2023, April 13). The Sociological Review. ['Critical Race Analysis and the construction of grooming gangs discourse']. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00380261.2023.2183875
- The report by Louise Casey on grooming gangs in the UK highlights the overrepresentation of men of 'Pakistani' origin in these crimes, a fact that is reflected in the report's 28 mentions of this ethnicity.
- In their coverage of Casey's report, the BBC chose to use the term 'Asian' instead of 'Pakistani', a decision that drew criticism and led to an update to 'Asian and Pakistani'.
- The use of the term 'Asian' to describe grooming gangs is misleading and serves as a euphemism, deliberately avoiding the fact that these crimes are mostly committed by men of Pakistani or Muslim descent.
