Inquiry into child sexual exploitation finds ‘extensive failures’ by police and local authorities

It says children are being sexually exploited by networks in all parts of England and Wales in the “most degrading and destructive ways”, with many exploited children raped or sexually assaulted repeatedly, over a period of months or even years.

The Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks report published on Tuesday (February 1) noted there appeared to be a flawed assumption that child sexual exploitation was 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. It said there was a “denial and downplaying” of the scale and gravity of child sexual exploitation by organised networks, with some areas not wishing “to be labelled as another Rochdale or Rotherham”.

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.

Law firm Slater and Gordon, which represented one of the victims, said the “shocking report confirms that while the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of children by organised networks is widespread in England and Wales, the agencies charged with protecting our children are still failing to do so”.

The report highlights that none of the areas examined in the investigation kept data on the ethnicity of victims and alleged perpetrators, which makes it impossible to know whether any particular ethnic group is over-represented as perpetrators of child sexual exploitation by networks.

The report recommends that police forces and local authorities in England and Wales must collect specific data – disaggregated by sex, ethnicity and disability – on all cases of known or suspected child sexual exploitation, including by networks.

Chair to the Inquiry Professor Alexis Jay 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.

“We make six recommendations which when implemented, we hope will address more effectively child sexual exploitation by organised networks.”

The recommendations include:

• The strengthening of the criminal justice system’s response by amending legislation to provide a mandatory aggravating factor in sentencing those convicted of offences relating to the sexual exploitation of children;
• Police forces and local authorities in England and Wales must collect specific data – including sex, ethnicity and disability – on all cases of known or suspected child sexual exploitation, including by networks; and
• The Department for Education and the Welsh government should update guidance on child sexual exploitation. This should include the identification and response to child sexual exploitation perpetrated by networks and improve the categorisation of risk and harm by local authorities and other institutions.

The report emphasises that too many victims of child exploitation are treated as offenders or somehow responsible for the harms done to them, whilst the perpetrators of child sexual exploitation are often not investigated or prosecuted. It says more effort must be made to prosecute perpetrators effectively; the law should “recognise the gravity of this particular form of abuse and its impact on children”.

While it is widely recognised that alcohol, drugs and violence are often used as a means to groom and coerce children, the report finds that perpetrators are finding new ways, including through mobile phones, social media and dating apps, to groom and abuse younger children.

It adds: “As the Inquiry has heard in other investigations, some of the worst examples where children – including babies and infants – are live-streamed for money, sometimes being sexually abused at the direction of the paying perpetrator.”

The report also highlights that 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.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Will White, whose force covers one of the case study areas, said it was “absolutely committed to protecting the vulnerable and relentlessly going after those who perpetrate this abuse”.

He said: “We’ll reflect on the findings in the latest report by the IICSA into child sexual exploitation by organised networks and welcome and support the recommendations made. We’ll implement any learnings necessary, including identified issues around the quality of data recording.

“Every child matters and should be safe and cared for. As police, we’re doing all we can to pursue and prosecute offenders, but we recognise more must be done by all safeguarding agencies to prevent the abuse from happening in the first place.”

Mr White said Avon and Somerset Constabulary’s response to child sexual exploitation has evolved over the past seven years and he welcomed the report’s “positive recognition of the work of Operation Topaz to prevent and disrupt offenders”.

He added: “Operation Topaz is our force-wide response to child sexual exploitation developed following a serious case review into Operation Brooke, an 18-month investigation into a child sexual exploitation network in Bristol in 2013, which resulted in 13 men being convicted and jailed. It ensures we have dedicated policing resources in place to disrupt offenders, engage with victims and undertake prevention work.

“We are advanced in our use of data science to give us a greater understanding of those at risk of exploitation and proactively support them through a multi-agency response, rather than waiting for them to become a victim. We want to find the exploitation which isn’t being reported.

“Data science also enables us to create a hostile environment for offenders, disrupting their criminal behaviour through the range of tools available to us, including child sexual exploitation warning letters, child abduction warning notices, Sexual Risk and Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, as well as more intensive means of disruption.

The report identified Bristol as a “notable exception in the application of disruption techniques” and partnership working and information sharing with the creation of a specific multi-disciplinary team to deal with disruption.

The report comments that: “The force’s location-specific disruption activities have included working with housing officers to evict suspects from an illegal sub-tenancy and a two-week operation at a park in Bristol. Disruptions and prosecutions undertaken by Operation Topaz are often done without disclosures from, or support of, child victims.

“This meets one of the key difficulties in responding to child sexual exploitation, which we have seen on a national level, namely the considerable barriers to disclosure of exploitation by children.”

Mr White said: “The report does highlight examples of where victim blaming language has been used in the past. This is unacceptable and we’ve come a long way in making sure officers recognise the signs of exploitation and are empowered to challenge this type of behaviour or language if witnessed. We are very clear – the abuser is always responsible, never the victim.

“We know children are exploited in more than one way, which is why our focus on child sexual exploitation must constantly evolve and develop.”

The Inquiry was particularly struck by the ‘reporting’ that there were no known or reported organised networks in two of the case study areas.

In relation to Swansea, it was told that there was “no data” to suggest that there was sexual exploitation by networks or gang-related child sexual abuse in the area.

The report said: “However, there were examples of child sexual exploitation by groups in the evidence seen by the Inquiry which should have been identified by the police. South Wales Police acknowledged ‘there is a likelihood that there are organised criminal networks that we haven’t discovered’.

“The local authority in Tower Hamlets also informed the Inquiry it had not identified any cases of sexual exploitation by networks, applying the definition of an organised criminal group, but then acknowledged that ‘just because we haven’t seen it doesn’t mean to say it’s not there’.”

Responding to the Inquiry, South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thorne said it welcomed the opportunity to “engage and contribute to this important investigation” and has been fully committed to supporting the Inquiry from the outset.

“We will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of justice for all victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, whenever the offence took place,” he added.

“The report highlights areas of good practice and identifies areas where improvement was needed. We acknowledge that we must all work harder to ensure that victims have the confidence to come forward and report what has happened to them.

“We are fully committed to learning the lessons of past investigations to ensure we can protect vulnerable people and provide them with the best level of support and investigate allegations to the very highest standards.

“We are working hard to address the issues regarding the recording of important information such as ethnicity, disability and other protected characteristics on police systems which will help us build up a more informative picture.”

Mr Thorne said many of the recommendations and good practice identified in this report have already been embedded across the force.

“While different forms of children sex abuse has evolved over time, so have our practices and our investment in this complex area of policing, with more specialist officers working daily to protect vulnerable people than ever before,” he said.

“We now work far closer and effectively with a range of partner agencies to spot signs of sexual abuse and exploitation far earlier so we are able to offer intervention to support victims and bring offenders to justice.

“Investigating non-recent allegations of child sexual abuse has required us to invest in dedicated resources with specialist officers and staff to investigate allegations of this nature.

“The relationship between survivors and the police is now one of predominantly trust and positivity and offers a far more effective service to victims and survivors.

“We have countless examples of where victims of non-recent abuse have had the trust and confidence in policing to come forward to report their experiences, where they have been believed and an investigation of the highest standard has resulted in perpetrators being sent to prison for offences committed several decades earlier. It is pleasing to note that our work to disrupt this area of criminality has been recognised by the Inquiry.”

Mr Thorne added: “I believe that we have demonstrated our commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation now and in the future, as an organisation and as an integral member of the wider network of partners who keep young people safe.

“We welcome the recommendations and will now need to consider the detail of the report, which will allow us to improve the service to victims as well as those who are at risk of exploitation. We will continue to play an active part in implementing those recommendations which are for policing nationally and our partners.”

In a statement in response to the IICSA report, Merseyside Police Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley said “every child matters, should be safe and cared for, and be able to thrive in our communities”.

“As police we are doing all we can to pursue and prosecute criminals who exploit and abuse young people. But, as the Inquiry has found, more must be done to stop this abuse from happening in the first place,” said Mr Critchley.

“Merseyside Police is committed to protecting all children from abuse, and police officers and staff are working closely with our partners to keep children safe.

“Sadly, 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, which quite rightly puts a real focus on children at risk of exploitation, and who have been harmed by exploitation so that they can be better safeguarded. We will reflect and act on the Inquiry’s findings and we accept the recommendations.

“Together with our partners we will reflect on the significant progress we have already made in recent years, and the steps we must take to ensure we act swiftly to prevent children from being abused and exploited. There is no room in our society for those who inflict harm on those who are vulnerable.

“I want to ensure victims are confident that when they take the hugely difficult decision to report to police, that our officers will treat them with the empathy and respect they should expect.

“From the first call we will always aim to demonstrate a caring and compassionate response supporting the victim in providing their evidence and follow further lines of enquiry that seeks to bring offenders to justice.

“We have specialist teams committed to dealing with all forms of child abuse, who will treat any information extremely seriously, and will follow up on every report and any information that comes in.”

Mr Critchley also issued a response on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council in his role as lead for child protection.

He said the the protection of all children from exploitation was “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,” said Mr Critchley.

“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 IICSA provides an opportunity for policing and partners, to take that process of continuous improvement forward.”

He added: “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.

“Victims are at the centre of all we do and must never be made to feel that they are at fault for what has happened to them. We support the focus within the report on the importance of using the right language in the right way – children who have been subject to exploitation are not ‘at risk’ they have been ‘harmed’. The language we use, and the way we communicate with those who have experienced trauma is key and we have worked with policing colleagues across the country to ensure our response is always both caring and compassionate .

“Victims can be assured that when they take the hugely difficult decision to report to police, that they will be treated with empathy and respect. From there an impartial and proportionate investigation will follow. I urge anyone who has suffered in this most appalling way, wherever and whenever this was, to come forward if it is the right time for them.”

The Inquiry said that while child sexual exploitation has been a “designated strategic policing priority since 2015” – giving it the same significance as terrorism and serious organised crime – its findings indicate that “less is now known and understood about the prevalence of this appalling crime than was the case prior to 2015”.

Kim Harrison, head of operations – abuse law and public inquiries – at Slater and Gordon, said: “The report demonstrates that police forces and local authorities are failing to recognise the scale of child sexual exploitation due to inaccurate and often non-existent data. So despite all the media publicity about child sexual exploitation this abhorrent crime is still being minimised and children left unprotected. Agencies are denying the problem rather than facing up to it.

“Alarmingly, the report reveals that police and social services continue in some areas to persist with victim blaming stereotypes and language. Child victims are still being criminalised. This needs to be addressed urgently.

“We welcome the recommendations made today.  The Inquiry, however, needs to go much further in its final report.  We need a transformation in attitudes in police and social services, much better multi-agency working, a new national strategy to identify and tackle child sexual exploitation, and much more proactive use of the criminal law. The Government needs to resource this properly.”

The Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) says the report highlights that this is not a rare problem confined to a small number of areas with high-profile criminal cases. It is a crime that involves the sexual abuse of children in the most degrading and destructive ways, by multiple perpetrators.

The charity said the report acknowledged some “key issues” which it had highlighted, including:

• Some children, despite being victims of sexual exploitation, have themselves been charged with or convicted of criminal offences which were closely linked with their sexual exploitation;
• Professionals sometimes failed to identify and respond in a culturally sensitive manner to child sexual exploitation in ethnic minority communities; and
• The failure of police to implement existing tools which are designed to stop offending.

While the report is positive in some respects, the CWJ says the Inquiry has not properly engaged with the failure of the criminal justice system – in particular the Crown Prosecution Service – to tackle child sexual exploitation by prosecuting these crimes.

Harriet Wistrich, CWJ director, said: “Whilst child sexual exploitation by organised groups has been identified as a horrifying crime – most recently in the coverage of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial in the US – in the UK, it is very rarely identified, let alone investigated or prosecuted. So as long as there is a state failure to tackle this problem, we know it will persist.

“Far too often, as is implicit in the report, we see children and young women who have been sexually exploited, being criminalised as easy targets instead of tackling the much more insidious organised abusers targeting the vulnerable.

“From CWJ’s point of view, the report is helpful in identifying the need to name and understand the problem properly which includes the proper collection of data. We are also pleased that the Inquiry has recognised the need for culturally sensitive support services, having heard evidence – at CWJ’s request – from frontline BME (black and minority ethnic) women’s organisations, the Angelou Centre and Apna Haq.

“However, today’s report overall represents a huge missed opportunity. There is a lack of hard-hitting recommendations which will result in real change. This crime will continue as long as perpetrators think they can get away with it which – in the current system – they do, due to the appallingly low number of effective criminal investigations or prosecutions.

“The only concrete recommendation made by the Inquiry around the criminal justice system is to increase sentencing for child sexual exploitation. There is little point if there are hardly any prosecutions.”

Ian Dean, director of the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre), welcomed the latest report from IICSA on Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks, which he says “echoes widespread concerns on the continued prevalence of sexual exploitation of children across England and Wales and the quality of response that those children receive”.

He said: “Conservative estimates suggest that one in ten children will experience some form of sexual abuse by the age of 16, but only a tiny fraction of these cases come to the attention of safeguarding services and this situation urgently needs to improve.

“The report’s recommendations align with those highlighted by the CSA Centre, including the need for focused support to improve the response that children receive and, particularly, significant improvements in data collection and consistency across safeguarding services including police, children’s services and health. Indeed, in our latest review, we concluded that significant gaps remain in what we know about the scale and nature of child sexual abuse in England and Wales and that includes the duration and frequency of abuse; contexts and locations in which it takes place; and basic profile information about victims and perpetrators.

“There is a continued need to improve data on the prevalence of child sexual abuse – which could best be achieved through a dedicated child sexual abuse survey – and to improve how agencies collect, record and publish data on child sexual abuse to inform response and planning. But while improvements to the systems that capture data are important, that data cannot be separated from the people who create it and the culture in which they work. We need enhanced training and support for professionals across all agencies, to empower them with the knowledge and confidence that they need to better protect children by identifying concerns of child sexual abuse and providing the support that they need.”

Independent Office for Police Conduct director of major investigations Steve Noonan said: “We welcome the work of the ICSA, which reinforces the need for action to tackle this problem. We, as a society, owe it to the brave survivors who came forward and shared their experiences to ensure lessons are learned.

“We are particularly pleased to see the IICSA report highlights the lasting and damaging effects this kind of abuse can have on survivors, including ending up with criminal records themselves. This is something we have seen through our own work.

“Some of the people we spoke to as part of our investigations into the police response to allegations of child sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 now have criminal records as a result of their actions while being exploited. And in November, we called for a review of the law surrounding such offences to provide better protection for vulnerable young people.

“We are encouraged by the commitment we received from the Law Commission to consider this as part of its next programme of law reform and we look forward to seeing the outcome of that work.”