The police service has taken steps to improve its response to child sexual exploitation over the years. Police forces know more about the wider context in which cases of child abuse occur. Many forces now undertake strategic assessments of specific child protection issues, such as child sexual abuse, grooming and indecent images of children. These assessments help senior leaders to understand the nature and scale of these issues in order to inform the development of force priorities.
However, progress remains slow. We found that an accurate view of group-based child sexual exploitation still wasn’t available to the police service as data collection is unreliable and intelligence gathering isn’t prioritised. These concerns are exacerbated by the absence of a common definition of group-based child sexual exploitation.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Wendy Williams said:
“Group-based child sexual exploitation has a devastating effect on children and their families. It cannot be overstated how complex and challenging these crimes can be to prevent and investigate, and the police can’t tackle them alone.
“Over the years, the police and law enforcement bodies have improved how they support victims and understand their needs. However, the pace of change needs to increase, and this starts with understanding the problem. We found that the police, law enforcement bodies and the Government still didn’t have a full understanding of the nature or scale of these crimes. This needs to change, and these agencies must work together effectively to protect children from harm and bring offenders to justice.”
