The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is set to begin hearings next year to examine allegations that “grooming gangs” exploited children who were in care. Multiple outlets report that the inquiry, led by Lady Smith, will focus on the exploitation and abuse of youngsters placed in care settings. The news accounts say the forthcoming phase of hearings will investigate how children in care were targeted, groomed and harmed, and will consider the circumstances surrounding those offences.
While the sources do not provide detailed findings or names, they agree on the core point that grooming gangs involving children in care will be included within the inquiry’s scope as part of the broader child abuse investigation. The reporting also indicates the hearings are expected to start the following year, following prior stages of the inquiry. Overall, the coverage frames this as a planned expansion of the investigation into exploitation of children in care, with the aim of establishing what happened and assessing any institutional responses relevant to the allegations.
