Government announce a new three-pronged strategy to combat Child Sexual Abuse

The government have announced a new, “first-of-its-kind” strategy to protect children from Child Sexual Abuse.

The new strategy, announced by the Home Office on the 22nd January, consists of three main objectives. They are:

• Reducing the threat of Child Sexual Abuse through collaboration of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This will include the involvement of the National Crime Agency (NSA) and GCHQ to invest in enhancing a world-leading ‘Child Abuse Image Database’. According to the government strategy this will allow officers to locate offenders online faster and use new tools to speed up police investigations. This will prevent those who offend online from acting with impunity.
• Preventing offending and re-offending through tougher sentences and probation reform. The government recently announced in a separate white paper, a plan to impose tougher sentences on those convicted of more serious and violent offences. The government also promised reform to the process of probation which will include “more effective” training of prison and probation staff.
• Protecting and safeguarding children. The government have also promised a review of ‘Sarah’s Law’. The law, now over a decade old, allows parents/guardians to request from the Police further information about adults with access to their children in regards to whether they have been suspected or convicted of Child Abuse. The Home Office is expected to use this review to suggest ways to make it easier for parents to access this information.

This new strategy comes on the back of new Home Office research estimates that put the social and economic cost of Child Sexual Abuse over the victims lifetime at £10 Billion for the year ending March 2019. Of course, there is no number available for the emotional cost caused by this horrific crime but the estimate highlights just how damaging the crime is to its victims’ social and economic development.

This week is Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week which is a national event aimed at building awareness of and campaigning against sexual violence and abuse.

If you or a family member have suffered any abuse, our experienced abuse team headed by Natalie Marrison are here to help. For a confidential discussion, please contact the Ramsdens Abuse team on 0113 887 1834 or email natalie.marrison@ramsdens.co.uk.