The real story here is not just the predators. It is the silence.
Whitehall sources confirm a surge in online grooming cases. The scale is staggering. Children being targeted. Families left shattered. But the question being whispered in the corridors of power is this: where were the parents?
A senior safeguarding advisor told me bluntly: 'Parents never say he's good enough.' The reference is to the classic grooming pattern. The abuser becomes the confidant. The one who listens. The one who validates. While parents are too busy, too distracted, too unaware.
This is not victim-blaming. It is a hard truth. The online world is a battlefield. Our children are on the front line. And we have not equipped them. Or ourselves.
The data is damning. A new report from the Children's Commissioner shows a 40% increase in recorded online grooming offences. But that is just the tip. Most cases go unreported. The shame. The fear. The manipulation.
Whitehall is in damage control mode. The Home Office has promised a new safeguarding review. But the lobby knows this is a repeat. Review after review. Little action.
The real battle is cultural. Parents need to be more present. More engaged. More willing to say 'you are good enough.' Because the predators are ready to say otherwise.
One insider described it as a 'national safeguarding failure.' Strong words. But accurate. The system is broken. The resources cut. The police overwhelmed.
There is also a political angle. The government is vulnerable on this. Labour will seize it. Expect a flurry of opposition day debates. Demands for a public inquiry. The Home Secretary is already briefing that she is 'determined to act.' But the lobby has heard that before.
The key takeaway? This is not just about online safety. It is about parenting. About the gap between what we preach and what we practice. About a generation of kids seeking validation from strangers because they do not get it at home.
A senior Tory backbencher told me: 'We have created a monster. And we are too scared to look it in the eye.'
The poll numbers are grim. Trust in the government's ability to protect children is at a low. The next election will be fought on competence. This is a black mark.
Expect a new strategy. But expect the same old story. Until parents start saying 'he's good enough.' And meaning it.
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief
