Police and local government appear to have a flawed assumption that child sexual exploitation is decreasing, when in reality it has become more of a hidden problem, increasingly under-reported when only linked to other forms of criminal behaviour such as county lines drug dealing. That’s according to a report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
The report focused on St Helens, Tower Hamlets, Swansea, Durham, Bristol and Warwickshire, six case study areas that have not already been the subject of well-publicised investigations of child sexual exploitation by networks. During the public hearing, the Inquiry heard harrowing evidence of child sexual exploitation by networks, including evidence in relation to more than 30 children and young people and the institutional response to exploitation of them, as well as victims and survivors, who described their experiences between 2003 and 2011.
The report names numerous other towns with reported such problems such as Blackpool, Keighley, Oldham, Oxford, Newcastle upon Tyne and Rochdale.
Professional language around child sexual exploitation has developed over many years, which describes children being ‘at risk’ despite clear evidence of actual harm having occurred. Examples include children having contracted sexually transmitted diseases, children regularly going missing with adults who picked them up in cars late at night and children attending so-called ‘house parties’ organised by adults, where they are plied with alcohol and drugs before being sexually abused.
Among the report’s six recommendations, it asks that the Department for Education and the Welsh Government update guidance on child sexual exploitation; and that police and councils in England and Wales collect specific data – including sex, ethnicity and disability – on all cases of known or suspected child sexual exploitation, including by networks.
The Inquiry chair is Prof Alexis Jay who headed the inquiry into the in Rotherham 1997–2013 scandal of CSE of at least 1,400 children, long not picked up by the authorities in the town. She said: “The sexual exploitation of children by networks is not a rare phenomenon confined to a small number of areas with high-profile criminal cases. It is a crime which involves the sexual abuse of children in the most degrading and destructive ways, by multiple perpetrators.
“We found extensive failures by local authorities and police forces in the ways in which they tackled this sexual abuse. There appeared to be a flawed assumption that child sexual exploitation was on the wane, however it has become even more of a hidden problem and increasingly underestimated when only linked to other forms of criminal behaviour such as county lines.”
For the 193-page report, visit the IICSA website.
Comment
For the National Police Chiefs’ Council, NPCC lead for Child Protection, Merseyside Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley, said: “The protection of all children from exploitation is crucial. We know that some of our most vulnerable young people experience harm which has lifelong consequences and policing is committed to keeping our children safe, and protecting them from abuse in all its forms.
“We acknowledge the valuable work of the Inquiry and welcome the spotlight on how children at risk of exploitation and who have been harmed by exploitation can be better safeguarded. We will reflect and act on the Inquiry’s findings and we accept the recommendations.
“We recognise that victims have been failed in the past. Policing has worked hard to learn from its mistakes, and the approach today to tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse has evolved, with many examples of innovative police work, positive outcomes for victims, and perpetrators brought to justice. However, we are not complacent, and we recognise there is still more to be done. The Report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse provides an opportunity for policing and partners, to take that process of continuous improvement forward.
“Some of the issues raised within the Report have already or are in the process of being addressed. We know that gaps in data collection, for example, inhibit our ability to fully profile this type of criminality. Over the past year, a regional network of analysts has been established who capture data nationally, to form a rich picture of trends in child sexual exploitation and abuse. This analysis provides a far more informed response at national and local level. However, we accept that there remain further steps to be taken in our data collection processes, to provide for example, a fuller profile of offender characteristics which will help to better target our resources, better prevent, and better protect. We are committed to continuing to enhance this area of our work in future and will act robustly on the findings.”
