News

Questions raised after Children’s Commissioner omits grooming-gang reference

Published

5 months ago

October 22, 2025

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have criticised this year’s annual report from the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, arguing that it makes no mention of child-grooming gangs or organised sexual exploitation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dr Altaf Hussain MS, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, said the omission was “deeply concerning” and renewed calls for a Wales-wide independent inquiry into grooming-gang activity.

He warned that Wales must not be treated as an “afterthought” in the UK-wide response to group-based child sexual exploitation, adding: “We need to understand the full extent of these problems in Wales so that we can protect vulnerable children and ensure perpetrators are held to account for their horrific crimes.”

Commissioner’s report focuses elsewhere

The Children’s Commissioner’s Annual Report 2024-25, published earlier this month, runs to more than 60 pages and covers a wide range of safeguarding and welfare concerns raised with the office over the past year.

It highlights casework involving school bullying, mental-health provision, housing problems, and failures in social-services responses, but there is no reference to grooming gangs or group-based sexual exploitation anywhere in the document.

Instead, the Commissioner’s team emphasised ongoing work around child protection procedures, neurodiversity, mental-health access, and poverty reduction, reflecting the areas in which most referrals and complaints were received.

When asked why grooming-gang issues were not addressed, officials pointed out that the report represents casework handled by the Commissioner’s office, not a complete audit of all child-safety risks in Wales.

The wider picture in Wales

While Wales has not seen the same large-scale scandals as Rotherham or Telford, child sexual exploitation (CSE) remains a recognised risk.

All four Welsh police forces have dedicated CSE units investigating both online grooming and small-scale networks. Recent prosecutions in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport have involved multiple offenders exploiting minors through social media or coercive relationships.

However, experts stress that most Welsh cases involve individual or small-group exploitation, not the extensive organised networks seen elsewhere in the UK.

An independent Home Office review in 2022 concluded that Wales did not exhibit a high concentration of grooming-gang activity but warned that no part of the UK is immune and urged continued vigilance.

Calls for vigilance and transparency

Child-protection charities say that while Wales’ safeguarding framework is strong, the public needs reassurance that authorities are alert to all forms of exploitation.

A spokesperson for a national child-protection charity told The Herald:
“It would be helpful if the Commissioner’s report explicitly acknowledged that organised sexual exploitation can occur anywhere. Even one case is too many, and survivors must know there are places to turn for help.”

Supporters of the Commissioner’s approach counter that focusing on the most common and immediate issues—such as school safety, mental health and family support—delivers the greatest impact for children overall.

The Welsh Government’s All-Wales Safeguarding Procedures already include guidance on child sexual exploitation, and police forces continue to share intelligence through the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme.

Whether future Children’s Commissioner reports should include explicit reference to grooming-gang activity may now form part of a wider debate about public transparency and reassurance, rather than the scale of the problem itself.

Cover pic:

Released new report: Children’s Commissioner Rocio Cifuentes

Crime

Man sentenced for stalking Milford Haven woman

Published

37 minutes ago

March 15, 2026

Court Reporter

Restraining order imposed by Haverfordwest magistrates

A MAN has been sentenced after admitting stalking a woman in Milford Haven.

Andrew Richards, 39, of High Street, Neyland, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentence on Monday (Mar 9).

Richards had previously pleaded guilty to stalking without fear, alarm or distress, contrary to section 2A(1) and (4) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

The court heard that between December 2, 2025 and February 15, 2026, he pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the stalking of Tamsin Matthias and which he knew, or ought to have known, amounted to harassment.

Magistrates imposed a community order running until September 8, 2027.

As part of the order, Richards must undertake alcohol treatment for nine months under the direction of the probation service.

He must also complete up to twenty days of rehabilitation activity as directed by probation.

Richards was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £500 compensation to the victim, £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge.

The court made a restraining order lasting until September 8, 2027.

Under the order, Richards must not contact the victim directly or indirectly and must not post, or cause to be posted, any material on social media or the internet referring to her directly or indirectly.

The court heard a victim personal statement from the complainant, which was read to the court by the prosecutor.

The case was prosecuted by Dennis Davies, with Richards represented by Mike Kelleher.

The hearing was before magistrates Mrs J Morris, Mr C Pattison and Mr J Steadman.

Crime

Man, 80, sentenced for stalking after campaign of unwanted emails and posters

Published

51 minutes ago

March 15, 2026

Court Reporter

Restraining order imposed after Haverfordwest case

A MAN has been sentenced for stalking after admitting a campaign of unwanted contact and harassment in Haverfordwest.

Michael Lockheart, 80, of Daisy Lane, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court for sentence on Monday (Mar 9).

The court had previously heard that between July 27 and September 10, 2025, Lockheart pursued a course of conduct which amounted to stalking.

The offence involved sending numerous unwanted emails after being told to stop making contact, putting up defamatory posters in public places, and sending malicious correspondence to the complainant’s GP and local authority.

Lockheart had entered a guilty plea to stalking without fear, alarm or distress, contrary to section 2A(1) and (4) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, on January 27, 2026.

Magistrates imposed a community order running until March 8, 2028.

As part of that order, Lockheart must undergo non-residential mental health treatment for 12 months under Dr Cormac Duffy, as directed by probation.

He must also complete up to 25 days of rehabilitation activity.

Lockheart was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation, a £600 fine, £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.

The court also made a restraining order lasting until March 8, 2028.

Under that order, he must not seek, approach or communicate with the complainant by any means, directly or indirectly. He must not knowingly enter any address where she is living, and must not post, or cause to be posted, any material online or on social media referring to her directly or by implication.

A victim personal statement was read to the court by the prosecutor.