I'm only hypothesizing that much of what is blamed on Muslims was already going on in those projects before Muslim gangs took over, and was more-or-less tolerated by police.
Political correctness prevented police authorities from seeing the motivational difference in kind, and perhaps even a difference in outcomes for the young women.
Indeed, the absence of drugs in this story makes one wonder if some of these girls might be better off under Muslim "sugar daddies" than under their previous gangsta masters, despite the girls dhimmi status?
So today the entire subculture is exposed to media headlines in an effort to arouse public outcry, outcry which was not there before, but may now lead to serious reforms...
Or may not, may only sell more newspapers.
You are, of course, largely correct. Some of these girls were no doubt willing participants. I also wonder if the “rape” charges might in some of the cases be statutory rape rather than forcible rape.
The lives of young women warehoused in these projects, whether in the USA or UK, are seldom a bed of roses. Physical, sexual and drug abuse are routine for them.
I do suspect, however, that Muslim ideology added a certain something. Dominance over the dhimmi is a Muslim duty. And how better to demonstrate your dominance than by stealing and/or raping his women?