Some of the girls and women were drawn into gangs solely for sex.

Detective Sergeant John Knox, head of the Metropolitan Police’s child exploitation team in the south London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, said girls and young women were the “lowest rung” in gangs.

He added girls inside gangs “cannot say no to sex” and they “have to do as they’re told”.

The officer explained girls were not exploited “predominantly and primarily for sex”, but “for everything, within that is sex”.

He believes there are at least 60 children in his community being exploited in some way.

Some could be as young as 13, but “15 would be the upper limit”.

A victim, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC she had been groomed by three men in London and was initially forced to deal drugs, but was then quickly forced into sex.

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“I had no money, felt neglected and saw an opportunity to feel part of something so I made some bad connections and before long I was selling drugs on the streets… But that turned into having sex to keep people on side if we owed them, or (as an enticement for them to) buy drugs off me and the gang,” she said.

Another victim recounted how she was “getting passed around different men every night” at the age of just 15.

She said: “They just give us drink, give us drugs. Next thing I know, I’d just be in the bedroom with one of them. Then I’d come out. Could be another one. After that it could be another one. Sometimes it was only one. Sometimes it could be three. And then we’d just leave really,” she said.

She claimed all the men were “Asian”.

A third victim said: “It’s happening in London, and those who don’t believe it need to look again.”

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In January 2025, Sir Sadiq was asked on nine occasions if there were rape gangs operating, either presently or historically, in London.

He insisted he was “not clear” what the question meant and, following clarification on the question with specific reference to the rape gangs in Rotherham and Bradford, the Labour mayor claimed he was “none the wiser”.

Sir Sadiq also last year said there was no “indication of (…) grooming gangs” operating comparably to that of Rochdale or Rotherham in the capital.

“The Mayor has repeatedly said on record that there are grooming gangs in London,” a spokesman for the Labour mayor has since said.

Conservative member of the London Assembly, Susan Hall, who put the question to the mayor last year, told The London Standard: “It beggars belief that we are being told London is the only place in the country where there are no grooming gangs.

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“It’s absolutely outrageous that Sadiq Khan fails to take this seriously.”

In October of last year, Scotland Yard announced they would re-investigate 9,000 child sex abuse cases, informing the mayor alleged grooming gang and child exploitation cases from the past 15 years would make up the probe.

The review is part of Operation Beaconport, which is a national project to shed light on previous failures to combat group-based child sexual exploitation.

A spokesman for the London Mayor said: “Any individuals, groups or grooming gangs exploiting children for sex are utterly abhorrent and the Mayor wants justice for every single victim of these horrific crimes.

“Since taking office, the Mayor has led efforts to strengthen the protection of children from exploitation and harm in all its forms in London, including grooming gangs. Sadiq has driven forward long-overdue reforms in the way the Met protects children and delivered vital investment in specialist services to support child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, including a new £2.4m package of support for victims and survivors to ensure they have the care, attention and specialist support services they deserve.

“The Mayor is clear that the Met must follow the evidence wherever it leads and he will continue to ensure it does everything possible to tackle all child sexual exploitation in the capital, including grooming gangs, to build a safer London for everyone.”