“These are not grooming gangs. These are rape gangs”
Mohan Singh has spent decades supporting vulnerable children in the UK, long before grooming scandals hit the headlines.
As founder of the Sikh Awareness Society, he has seen firsthand how predatory gangs target young people, offering gifts or attention before coercing them into sexual abuse.
Singh challenges the term “grooming gangs”, stating that they should be called what they are – rape gangs.
He describes the warning signs families should look out for, from secrecy to sudden behavioural changes, and stresses that anyone can be at risk, regardless of background.
In an exclusive interview with DESIblitz, Mohan Singh explains how gangs operate, why systemic failures allow abuse to continue, and what communities can do to protect young people.
From Community Work to Frontline Activism
Mohan Singh’s work grew out of decades spent embedded in community life:
“I was a community worker back in the day. I’ve been doing seva within the community since 1984.”
That foundation shaped his approach. He combined grassroots engagement with cultural fluency, speaking both Punjabi and English while remaining rooted in Sikh principles.
Singh’s leadership roles followed, as he explained:
“I also became the youngest Gurdwara Pradhan at 32 and lasted there 16 years without any elections.”
By the mid-1990s, his work had expanded into wider community coordination. He became general secretary of a Birmingham-based council overseeing multiple gurdwaras.
Singh’s outreach included media appearances and public campaigns tied to major events like the 300-year anniversary of the Khalsa.
But the turning point came unexpectedly when he “got a call from a young man who was crying on the other side and he needed help”.
That case involved family members who had converted to Islam and were allegedly being influenced and controlled.
Singh admitted he had no formal expertise at the time, only language skills and community trust.
That encounter exposed a gap, as sensitive issues such as coercion and exploitation were not being openly discussed.
He said:
“Nobody talks about these kinds of subjects. Nobody talks about how people are brainwashing people.”
In response, he co-founded the Sikh Awareness Society, which initially focused on taboo topics within the Desi community.
Over time, its remit expanded as patterns became clearer. Cases increasingly involved sexual abuse, grooming and coercion.
Without social media, early growth relied on word of mouth.
Mohan Singh described a slow but steady spread from the West Midlands to the rest of the UK.
As awareness grew, so did the scale and complexity of cases. His collaboration with investigative journalist Andrew Norfolk exposed him to major national scandals, including Rotherham and Oxford.
By 2012, the work had reached a wider audience.
A BBC documentary followed the Sikh Awareness Society for a year, though Singh claims it faced resistance before airing.
He said: “There was so much noise around the programme at BBC. People were frightened.”
Despite limited airtime, the exposure brought international attention and a surge in cases from abroad.
Language, Labelling and Institutional Failure
Mohan Singh is highly critical of how authorities and media describe sexual abuse crimes, arguing that language has softened the reality:
“These are not grooming gangs. This was a terminology which started coming out in the papers around 2004, 2003.”
Stating that such groups should be called rape gangs, Singh explained that word changes downplay the severity of offences.
It has been claimed that Pakistani men are disproportionately involved in grooming gangs; however, offenders are categorised as being of Asian ethnicity in reports and Singh said “that’s the word they would use, knowing all the data that the police had up and down the country”.
However, the word has never been included and according to Singh, fear of being labelled racist has influenced decision-making at institutional levels.
He drew comparisons with how the use of “English” was used when reporting on football violence in Britain.
Singh added: “It be English hooligans. Now if they can label there, why can’t they label that [Pakistani abuse gangs]?
“The whole system, fearful of being called racist, turned a blind eye to the biggest crime, I would say has happened to young girls up and down the country and this is why my terminology has changed.
“These are not grooming gangs. These are rape gangs, this is organised crime.”
This extends to policing and data handling. According to Singh, evidence has been deliberately obscured:
“They had names cut out. They had ethnicity cut out, but they had the crime and the age of the person.”
He also raises concerns about internal pressure within police forces. Officers who attempted to pursue cases were allegedly discouraged or threatened.
He said: “They were threatened. They were actually threatened that if they carried on, they’d be dismissed.”
Singh added that whistleblowers faced long legal battles. Some cases only emerged after intervention at the highest judicial levels. Singh links this to broader patterns of institutional denial.
He points to underreporting as another major issue:
“Only 13% of sexual abuse ever gets reported.”
For Singh, the consequences are long-term. He argues that failure to act early has created generational trauma. Victims require ongoing support, while systemic inaction has allowed abuse to persist over decades.
Victims and Trauma
Mohan Singh’s work places him in direct contact with survivors and it reveals the lasting psychological impact of abuse.
He said: “It’s a journey to hell; some of them never make it back because the quality of life they suffer is horrendous.”
Triggers can be unpredictable and severe. Singh described how survivors relive trauma through everyday experiences, from smells to chance encounters.
The Sikh Awareness Society’s approach focuses on long-term recovery.
Singh explained: “We want to make them from victims to survivors, from survivors to thrivers.”
Many volunteers are survivors themselves, bringing lived experience to their support work.
He contrasts this with statutory services, which he sees as fragmented. Limited counselling sessions and frequent case handovers disrupt recovery.
Singh argues that families are often overlooked, despite also experiencing trauma.
Case studies illustrate these challenges.
In Leicester, the organisation intervened in a case involving a 15-year-old girl. Evidence gathered independently was later used to secure convictions.
Singh said:
“We were able to put six perpetrators behind bars.”
However, he stresses that justice does not end the impact. Survivors continue to struggle years later. He described one case in which a victim self-harmed extensively.
Trust in authorities remains low among victims. Many cases reach the organisation through community referrals rather than official channels, “because authorities failed them big time”.
Awareness campaigns play a crucial role. In one case, a father used Singh’s video to encourage his daughter to report abuse.
The footage was later used in court, demonstrating the power of community-led intervention.
Ongoing Cases and Work
Recent cases show how patterns continue to evolve, with Singh highlighting the growing role of digital platforms.
He said: “67% all grooming is happening via the internet.”
A 2026 case in Hounslow illustrates the complexity of interventions.
A 16-year-old girl, reportedly groomed from age 14, was eventually recovered after community action escalated.
Singh eventually met the girl and he recalled:
“I was just wondering, some of the language she used in the video when people were knocking on the door, it was rough language.
“So, I’m thinking, is this how she is going to respond to me?
“But after about 10 minutes, she was just this young child.”
They spoke confidentially and Singh revealed that she opened up a lot and was “brutally honest”.
Mohan Singh stresses the importance of confidentiality in ongoing cases, but acknowledges the wider impact on families. Trauma extends beyond the individual, affecting parents and siblings. Support must reflect this reality.
Singh reports frequent online threats but despite these risks, he and his team continue their work.
Physical safety is managed through strict protocols, but the psychological toll remains for survivors.
Looking ahead, Mohan Singh believes public pressure is building for systemic change. He points to national inquiries and growing awareness, but remains cautious about outcomes. He argues that previous reports have not been fully implemented.
Ultimately, he sees a shift in public sentiment.
Communities are becoming less willing to accept inaction. Singh believes this could force accountability across political and institutional systems, particularly if forthcoming inquiries expose longstanding failures.
For Singh, tackling rape gangs is about more than naming perpetrators; it is about empowering survivors and preventing future abuse.
His work highlights how systemic failings, cultural pressures, and silence can all allow predators to operate unchecked.
But he also demonstrates the power of grassroots action, education, and vigilance to protect young people before it’s too late.
Singh’s perspective reminds us that communities have a responsibility to spot the warning signs and support victims without judgment.
Ultimately, the fight against child sexual exploitation requires honesty, courage, and sustained collective effort to ensure every child can grow up safe.
Watch the Full Interview
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