Under 18s 'Groomed In Greater Numbers'

Under-18s in England are being groomed for sexual activity "in far greater numbers than was ever imagined", according to a government report.

The report by Children's Minister Tim Loughton is launching this week to ensure agencies work together to tackle the issue, after the report found that gifts such as money, food, drugs or alcohol were often used as a means of coercion.

The Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation Action Plan will bring together the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, local safeguarding children boards and support organisations like Rape Crisis.

Catherine McKinnell MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Children welcomed the report saying that child sexual exploitation was a "particularly horrendous crime".

The Ms McKinnel said the tireless work of organisations like Barnardo’s had helped to uncover just how prevalent this disturbing problem is in our society.

“Of course, Government departments and local agencies could and should be working more closely together to support vulnerable victims and deal properly with the perpetrators. However, research indicates that only one in four Local Safeguarding Children Boards are implementing the statutory guidance already issued by the Labour Government back in 2009.

“There are real concerns that Ministers are failing to recognise the pressure that local authorities, the police, the NHS and Crown Prosecution Service are being put under as a result of budget cuts, and whether these organisations will have the necessary resources available to step up their work in stamping out this heinous criminality."

Barnardo’s chief executive Anne Marie Carrie, who is leading the 'Cut them free campaign' for action to prevent sexual exploitation, said that we cannot underestimate the scale of abuse and the damage it is doing to thousands of girls and boys across the UK.

"At Barnardo’s we hear so many heartbreaking stories which are every parent’s worst nightmare. I hope today marks a new beginning, so fewer of these nightmares become reality and the pernicious individuals behind this exploitation are brought to justice.

"The Government’s action plan to tackle child sexual exploitation will lay down the gauntlet for the criminal justice system to bring more prosecutions of this type of sex offender – but we need urgent action for the innocents who are groomed and exploited for sex.”

The charity said that key to achieving change will be ensuring everyone who works with children is able to spot the signs of sexual exploitation and knows how to tackle it and making local authorities prioritise child exploitation and put in place plans to tackle it in their locality.

(DW)