Boris Johnson’s Role in Hillingdon Grooming Gang Scandal Revealed

Key Points

• Boris Johnson contacted Hillingdon Council about an alleged grooming gang linked to serial killer Levi Bellfield just days before becoming Prime Minister in 2019.
• Johnson met Debbie Weissang, former child sexual exploitation manager at Hillingdon Council, to discuss her investigation into a grooming group active in his constituency.
• Weissang’s report linked Levi Bellfield and sex offender Suraj Gharu to a ring of seven men with at least 17 victims.
• Johnson urged Weissang to “go get them,” and later contacted the council to check the status of the investigation.
• Hillingdon Council confirmed passing details to the Metropolitan Police but did not address Johnson’s intervention directly.
• Survivor Crystalla criticised Mayor Sadiq Khan and Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley for perceived inaction on the Hillingdon grooming gang.
• The Metropolitan Police continue a 2019 investigation into the alleged child sexual abuse in West London, recently enhancing efforts with a case review and increased charges.
• Mayor Khan has invested in services supporting child victims and pushed reforms in the Met’s child protection framework.

What was Boris Johnson’s role in the Hillingdon grooming gang investigation?

As reported by Zak Garner-Purkis, Investigations Editor at the Express, just days before Boris Johnson became UK Prime Minister in 2019, he engaged directly with hillingdon/hillingdon-council/">Hillingdon Council on concerns raised about a suspected grooming gang operating in West London. Johnson met with Debbie Weissang, the former child sexual exploitation manager, at his constituency office to review the findings she had compiled about the group allegedly active in his area.

Weissang told the Express:

“I had a meeting with Boris at his constituency office. I shared all my findings and told him what I’d done, so he had all of the background story. I told him there had been a lot of activity by the gang in the pub opposite the council offices. The point I was trying to get across to Boris was that this has happened right on his doorstep to wake him up to the issue.”

According to Weissang, Johnson asked, “what do you want?” She replied that she wanted to return with her team to Hillingdon to help bring the group to justice. Johnson encouraged her by saying, “go get them.” Weissang later learned that Johnson had contacted the council, which replied that the matter was “being investigated.”

Who is Debbie Weissang and what did her report reveal?

Debbie Weissang, a specialist with prior experience exposing grooming gangs in Peterborough, joined Hillingdon Council to tackle similar exploitation in London. Her report, publicly revealed a year before this news, accused serial killer Levi Bellfield and sex offender Suraj Gharu of involvement in a child sexual abuse ring comprising seven men and involving at least 17 victims.

The Express states Weissang raised alarm at how many alleged offenders remained free, believing themselves “untouchable.” She had hoped that engagement with Johnson would facilitate action against the group.

After exposing these details, both the council and police acknowledged receiving a safeguarding report and conducting investigations “where appropriate,” though progress has been slow.

What has been the council and police response to Johnson’s intervention?

The Express attempted to obtain comment from Hillingdon Council regarding Johnson’s involvement. The council declined to address the specifics of his intervention but confirmed that details were forwarded “to the Metropolitan Police in a timely manner.” Johnson’s office did not clarify if further contacts or actions were made following his briefing with Weissang.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police highlighted that since receiving a safeguarding report in 2019, specialist detectives have pursued a “complex and detailed investigation” into the Hillingdon area’s alleged child sexual abuse. The police stated:

“The Met takes all allegations of child sexual and criminal exploitation extremely seriously, which is why we are currently reviewing around 9,000 cases and have significantly enhanced our approach to identifying and investigating group-based offending since 2022.”

This enhanced approach led to a threefold increase in solved child sexual exploitation cases last year, resulting in 134 suspects charged.

Why have survivors criticised Sadiq Khan and the Met Police?

On Sunday, a survivor known as Crystalla publicly expressed frustration at authorities’ failure to act decisively:

“We’re sick of screaming and shouting about it and nothing happening. What I saw them inflict on my community without consequences was horrific… Yet somehow, decades later, it is still us taking the risks and the perpetrators not facing justice. Things need to change.”

The Express reported Crystalla’s direct criticism of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for perceived neglect in responding to grooming gang allegations in Hillingdon.

What is Sadiq Khan’s position on grooming gangs and child exploitation?

A spokesperson for Mayor Khan told the Express:

“Any individuals or grooming gangs exploiting children for sex are utterly abhorrent and Sadiq wants justice for every single victim of these horrific crimes. These children have not only suffered terrible abuse at the hands of the perpetrators but have been woefully let down by the authorities meant to protect them from harm.”

The spokesperson detailed Khan’s leadership in enhancing protections for exploited children in London, including commissioning an independent inspection of the Met’s child protection by HMICFRS in 2023, leading to “lasting improvements.”

Khan emphasises the need for the Met Police to “follow the evidence wherever it leads” and pledges to hold the force accountable in tackling child sexual exploitation.

How does this controversy link to Johnson’s past comments and wider investigations?

In 2019, while campaigning for Tory leadership, Johnson attracted criticism for describing historic child abuse probe spending as “a lot of money being spaffed up the wall,” advocating instead for more police presence on the streets. This comment contrasted with the heightened investigative activity and reviews underway since 2022 discussed by the Metropolitan Police.

The police’s ongoing review of thousands of cases, including the Hillingdon investigation, reflects the growing public and political pressure to improve outcomes from child exploitation probes nationally.

What are the broader implications of this story?

The revelations about Johnson’s early contact with Hillingdon Council expose a previously unreported link between a high-profile politician and a serious grooming gang investigation. They add momentum to demands for justice from survivors and scrutiny of London’s political leadership past and present, especially concerning alleged inaction on child sexual exploitation.

The interplay between political figures Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan, institutional responses from Hillingdon Council, and the Metropolitan Police’s investigative progress forms a complex narrative highlighting challenges in tackling grooming gangs. It emphasises the urgent need for effective coordination, transparency, and victim-focused safeguarding across public authorities.