Not enough is being done to convict paedophiles, says study

There has been little or no progress in bringing sex abusers to justice, or in providing adequate help for children who have been sexually abused, since the mid-90s, according to a hard-hitting report published today.

The Joseph Rowntree Trust-funded review has said that the failure to convict abusers has undermined efforts to prevent potential abusers from working with children. Research is now needed to discover why conviction rates for offences against children "are so low, and how they might be increased", the study said.

The review, which charted progress on child protection since the 1997 publication of 'People Like Us', a report by the former Chief Inspector of Social Services, Sir William Utting, concluded that although legislation, policies and guidance on safeguards had been strengthened – including some provisions in the current Children Bill – there is a "continuing gap between policy and practice".

It further warned that policies "are not being consistently implemented in all parts of the country and that practitioners in some sectors still do not have enough understanding of what needs to be done to safeguard children".

The review also raised concerns that especially vulnerable groups, including disabled children and children in prison, were not being afforded proper protection.

However, the study found that children living away from home are now better protected against abuse than in the mid-1990s when a succession of scandals in care homes were exposed.

The report authors, Marian Stuart and Catherine Baines, called for more to be done to raise public awareness of the risks to children and measures that can be taken to protect them. They pointed to gaps in the information available to parents and children so they can recognise abusive behaviour and know where to seek help.

Marian Stuart said: “The incidence of sexual abuse of children is greater than most people realise, yet the number of convictions remains worryingly low. Experts estimate that fewer than one-in-50 sexual offences results in a criminal conviction. If this problem continues to go unchecked, there will be an inexorable rise in the numbers of children subjected to sexual abuse, with all the damaging effects that can follow. A radical rethink is essential."

Sir William Utting said that, in the years following his report, progress has been "sluggish or has stalled".

"Continuing failures of implementation point to weaknesses in managerial structures, and renewed efforts are needed through professional education and training to improve the ability of staff to recognise and meet children’s needs,” he added.

(gmcg/sp)