Kent Police Investigative 'Tool' Rolled Out Across EU

A "tool" developed by Kent Police and the University of Liverpool, which assesses the level of risk posed by a suspected paedophile and the likelihood of that person becoming a contact offender, is to be developed for use across Europe.

The Kent Internet Risk Assessment Tool, known as KIRAT, was introduced to twenty-four police forces from across the EU during a summit in the Netherlands.

KIRAT was developed in 2012 to assess people who view indecent images of children on the internet.

The EU collaborative project involves a group of European partners - Estonian Police and Border Guard, Mossos d'Esquadra in Spain (the police force of Catalonia), Police Unit Rotterdam, Universitat de Barcelona, University College Dublin and the University of Liverpool.

The KIRAT risk assessment tool has been rolled out on a national scale in The Netherlands. Eleven Teams Against Child Sexual Abuse Images and Transnational Child Sex Offences are now using this tool.

Dr Peter Reijnders, Programme Manager of the National Police of The Netherlands, said: "We have worked closely together with Kent Police and other involved partners. In 2013 we started a pilot in our Rotterdam Team.

"We have learned a lot these past two years. KIRAT has proven to be a very valuable tool.

"This summit gives us and everyone attending the opportunity to share and combine our knowledge in order to further intensify the combat of child sexual abuse images on an international level."

Kent Police, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and University of Liverpool have since received further funding, from the British Prime Minister's innovation fund, to help roll the tools out in four countries outside of the European Union.

Their objectives are:

• Further development of the Kent Internet Risk Assessment Tool (KIRAT), specifically exploring cultural specificity across partner countries and depending on the findings producing a bespoke European KIRAT tool for each partner country or a European wide tool;

• Development of technical solutions designed to identify offenders and safeguard children;

• Improving cross-border collaboration, including the sharing of best practice activities in partner countries, migrating knowledge and understanding between partner countries and establishing share working practices for cross border cases.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tim Smith from Kent Police said: "The internet has no borders so it makes perfect sense for police forces around the world to work together to target paedophiles.

"With all EU members using the same programmes it means that we are all using the same proven method to identify offenders and assess the risk they pose to children. 

"KIRAT was invented in Kent, with the help of expert researchers from the University of Liverpool.

"It is really satisfying to see the way that it has evolved and that it is now being used across the world to safeguard vulnerable children and to identify sex offenders who are using the internet to commit serious sexual offences."

(MH/CD)