Gritty BBC documentary Britain's Forgotten Girls exposes how young girls are being groomed by drugs gangs
Four girls bravely share their storiesBritain’s Forgotten Girls is a gritty new documentary that exposes the horror of organised drug gangs that are grooming, trafficking and sexually exploiting vulnerable girls.
The BBC documentary asks why this vile exploitation has continued to happen in the UK for more than two decades.
Christine is among several women sharing accounts of abuse, drug couriering and her own encounters with the police and social services.
In the documentary, Christine – who has bravely waived her right to anonymity – reveals how older men exploited her from age 13.
Her shocking testimony is enough to chill anyone to the bone.
BBC documentary Britain’s Forgotten Girls lifts lid on exploitation
Christine is now an adult. In Britain’s Forgotten Girls, she explains how she began being abused after a move from London to Coventry.
“Looking back, I think the move threw me off a lot”, she says. “In school everybody already had their friendship groups because of how late I’d moved in.
“So, within school, I didn’t really feel like I had friends.”
Christine was targeted by an abuser lurking in a group chat online. She agreed to meet him in person, but was shocked when he turned up.
“I remember him walking through the doors…when he walked through the door, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a grown man’. I was 13 and he was 23,” she says.
On her 14th birthday, the unthinkable happened. The man persuaded Christine to sleep with his friends to “help him out”. They were all members of his drugs gang.
Christine felt scared and powerless to say no. It then became a regular thing.
“I felt disgusting. Some were his friends, some were his age, some looked older. I don’t know who they were,” she reveals.
Christine was abused for eight years. She was also frequently physically attacked. On one occasion, she ended up with broken ribs.
Christine’s documentary claims about the police
In the documentary, Christine explains how she spoke to the police multiple times. She was also in contact with social workers. Christine says she told them all about her sexual exploitation.
“I sat for hours and hours in interviews… but the moment I told them about the drugs and the houses, everything shifted,” she said.
Christine insists officers were only interested in the gang’s drug offences – not that they were abusing her.
The documentary will also hear from other survivors, including a woman called Violet. She will also share her horrific account of being sexual abused by drug gang members.
Connie Muttock, Director of Policy and Public Affairs for the children’s charity Centre for Young Lives, tells viewers: “The abuse and exploitation of girls in drug gangs is a widespread UK-wide issue.
“This isn’t about a particular city or area, particular demographic groups. As long as we’ve had drug gangs in this country, we have had girls being abused and coerced within them. What’s even more shocking is that this has been going on for years.”
When is Britain’s Forgotten Girls on?
Britain’s Forgotten Girls will air on BBC Two tonight (Wednesday September 9, 2026). The documentary will start at 9pm and is an hour long. Viewers will also be able to watch on BBC iPlayer.
This looks a very tough watch, but also a very important one.
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Britain’s Forgotten Girls starts at 9pm on BBC One on Wednesday September 9, 2026.
