SARAH CHAMPION MP TO CHALLENGE GOVERNMENT’S FAILURE TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE
Sarah Champion MP will lead a parliamentary debate on Wednesday 3rd March demanding the government urgently close a loophole in the law that allows sexual offenders to groom and exploit 16 and 17-year olds in their care with impunity.
The 2003 Sexual Offences Act currently prohibits individuals in defined roles such as teachers or social workers from exploiting their position. However, it does not include other adults with similar influence, such as sports coaches or faith leaders, leaving children in non-statutory settings vulnerable to abuse.
In 2019, the Ministry of Justice conducted a review into the law and stated they should be able to announce next steps in May 2020. No announcement was forthcoming.
During the debate, Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, will say: “Parents are right to expect the same legal protections sending their child to a youth centre or religious group as they would sending them to school. The Government must act to close a legal loophole that allows adults in positions of trust outside of a statutory setting to get away with abusing teenagers.
Protecting children and young people from harm should be one of the Governments top priorities. It’s clear from my work with survivors and child protection specialists that robust legislation needs to be in place to tackle the abhorrent abuse happening right now.
I’ve repeatedly made it clear to the Government that this legal loophole allows abusers to act with impunity. If the Government is serious about showing zero tolerance to child abuse, they must act to change the law.”
Andrew Fellowes, Associate Head of Policy and Public Affairs, NSPCC, said: “Returning to extra-curricular activities is an important step towards normality for young people after an incredibly difficult year but doing the things they love shouldn’t place them at risk of being groomed and taken advantage of by the very people who are meant to be looking after them.
Over the last three years, organisations from sport, faith and voluntary sectors have been joined by voices from across the political spectrum in calling for this to be addressed. Now it is vital that the Government acts and finally closes the loophole.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
· Sarah Champion MP is the founding Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Safeguarding in Faith Settings. In January 2020, the group published a report calling for the Government to close the loophole in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. More information available here: https://thirtyoneeight.org/about-us/all-party-parliamentary-group/appg/pot-report-launch/
· Sarah Champion MP will make these calls in a half-hour Adjournment debate (an exchange between the MP and Minister) at the end of parliamentary business on Wednesday 3rd March.
· A Freedom of Information was commissioned by the NSPCC to support their ‘Close the Loophole’ campaign. The request was sent to all Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO) in England and Wales (172 councils, of which 161 replied) to find out how many cases were known about which related to sexual activity by a person who was potentially in a Position of Trust with a 16 or 17 year old. Over the four-year period (2014-2018) a total of 653 cases were recorded, of which 495 recorded the position concerned.
· In January 2021, the Home Office published the ‘Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy’ which states they will consider the findings from the Ministry of Justice internal review of existing legislation on abuses of positions of trust. Available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-sexual-abuse-strategy
Contact information: Email bruce.warwick@parliament.uk or call 07948 979 713.