SARAH CHAMPION MP URGES GOVERNMENT TO CHANGE LAW TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE

Following a parliamentary debate, Sarah Champion MP has urged the government to act quickly on closing a loophole in the law that allows sexual predators 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.

During the debate she led, Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said: “Protecting children and young people from harm should be one of society’s top priorities.  It really is quite simple. The law needs to change so that all adults who hold a position of trust over a child, even if that child is 16 or 17, must be banned from having sex with them.”

Responding for the government, Justice Minister, Alex Chalk, said: “It is fair to say that most stakeholders [consulted as part of the Government’s internal review of the legislation] felt a change in the law was required and I can see the merits of change.”

Commenting on the Minister’s response, Sarah said: “I am pleased the Minister recognises the merits of changing the law in this area and that it requires a clear, considered and decisive response.

Children across the country will soon be returning to school and many will again participate in vital extracurricular activity after a year of upheaval. The Minister has the ability to protect those children from abuse. I hope he will now bring forward changes to the law urgently to show he is serious when he says safeguarding is a priority”.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

·        Sarah Champion MP is former 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 led the half-hour adjournment debate (an exchange between the MP and Minister) at the end of parliamentary business on Wednesday 3rd March. The debate is available here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-03-03/debates/4F8C4C6E-26C7-4284-8F9D-2F5A964308B6/SexualOffencesAct2003PositionsOfTrust

·        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.