A comprehensive review into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse in England and Wales, commissioned by the government and conducted by Baroness Casey, has been published. The report, available here, reveals significant flaws in data collection, hindering accurate assessment of the problem’s scale.
While the Complex and Organised Child Abuse Dataset recorded approximately 700 group-based child sexual exploitation offenses in 2023, the report emphasizes this drastically underrepresents the true extent of the issue due to underreporting and inconsistent definitions. A particularly concerning data gap is the lack of comprehensive ethnicity data, described as “appalling” and a “major failing.”
Although ethnicity data is missing in two-thirds of cases, analysis of police data from Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire reveals a disproportionate number of suspects from Asian ethnic backgrounds in group-based child sexual exploitation cases. This, coupled with findings from local reviews and high-profile prosecutions nationwide, warrants further investigation into the apparent overrepresentation of perpetrators of Asian and Pakistani ethnicity in certain areas.
In response, the government will mandate the collection of ethnicity and nationality data for all child sexual abuse and exploitation cases and commission research into the underlying cultural and social factors. The review also notes a significant number of suspects are non-UK nationals or asylum seekers. Consequently, the government will reject asylum claims and deny refugee status to individuals convicted of sexual offenses.
Following the report’s recommendations, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a full national inquiry into child sexual exploitation in England and Wales, reversing his previous stance. This decision follows Baroness Casey’s revised opinion, influenced by insufficient local council inquiries and reluctance from some organizations to cooperate.
The report recommends a national police operation to review unaddressed cases, alongside the national inquiry. This inquiry, overseen by an independent commission with the power to compel witnesses, will be time-limited and focused. It will review failures by local services, identify areas needing investigation, and coordinate targeted local inquiries. Furthermore, the report advocates for legislative changes to ensure adults engaging in sexual acts with children under 16 are always charged with rape.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has pledged to implement the recommended legal changes, collaborating with the Crown Prosecution Service and police to protect consensual teenage relationships. She also agreed to review convictions of child sexual exploitation victims, ensuring those wrongly convicted for child prostitution while their abusers escaped punishment will have their records cleared. The report also highlights the need for stricter taxi licensing standards nationwide to mitigate the risk of exploitation, addressing current loopholes and inconsistencies in regulation.
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