Child exploitation criminalisation
Systemic failure to divert children and young people exploited by criminal gangs away from the criminal justice system.
16 items
1 source
2 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Child exploitation criminalisation has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:
16 inquiry recs
This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.
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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry Recommendations (16)
106 — Online age verification legislation
Recommendation: The government should introduce legislation requiring providers of online services and social media platforms to implement more stringent age verification techniques on all relevant devices.
Gov response: On 12 May 2021, the UK government published a draft Online Safety Bill, which includes a clause that will require providers of regulated services to conduct an assessment of whether children are likely to access …
Accepted
105 — WeProtect international action on CSAM
Recommendation: The government should press the WeProtect Global Alliance to take more action internationally to ensure that those countries hosting indecent images of children implement legislation and procedures to prevent access to such imagery.
Gov response: On 10 November 2020, the UK government committed to continue working with the WeProtect Global Alliance to make combating indecent images of children, grooming and live streaming a priority. It stated that it would do …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
104 — High risk countries list for travel orders
Recommendation: The Home Office should bring forward legislation providing for the establishment and maintenance by the National Crime Agency of a list of countries where children are considered to be at high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation from overseas offenders. …
Gov response: On 21 January 2021, the Home Office confirmed that it would bring forward the necessary legislation to give effect to this recommendation when parliamentary time allows. The Home Office stated that it had commissioned the …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
71 — Pre-screen material before upload
Recommendation: The government should require industry to pre-screen material before it is uploaded to the internet to prevent access to known indecent images of children.
Gov response: On 10 November 2020, the UK government stated that it had launched the Voluntary Principles to Counter Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse alongside the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The interim code of …
Not Accepted
70 — Include clergy in position of trust definition
Recommendation: The government should amend Section 21 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 so as to include clergy within the definition of a position of trust. This would criminalise under s16-s20 sexual activity between clergy and a person aged 16-18, over …
Gov response: On 9 March 2021, the Ministry of Justice and Home Office stated that the government would introduce the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. The Bill sought to extend the definition of a 'position of …
Accepted
56 — Update CSE guidance with network information
Recommendation: The Department for Education should review and publish an updated version of its guidance on child sexual exploitation. The update should specify that the core element of the definition of child sexual exploitation is that a child was controlled, coerced, …
Gov response: On 30 June 2022, the UK government provided the Inquiry with its provisional response to this recommendation. The UK government stated its final response to this recommendation would be provided within six months of the …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
40 — Publish interim online harms code of practice
Recommendation: The government should publish, without further delay, the interim code of practice in respect of child sexual abuse and exploitation as proposed by the Online Harms White Paper (published April 2019).
Gov response: On 15 December 2020, the UK government published the Interim Code of Practice on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.
Accepted
19 — Nottingham harmful sexual behaviour evaluation
Recommendation: Nottingham City Council and its child protection partners should commission an independent, external evaluation of their practice concerning harmful sexual behaviour, including responses, prevention, assessment, intervention and workforce development. An action plan should be set up to ensure that any …
Gov response: On 29 July 2021, Nottingham City Council stated that the NSPCC undertook an independent external evaluation of its practice in relation to harmful sexual behaviour. The NSPCC identified opportunities for further strengthening and an action …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
11 — Ban CSE-risk children from semi-independent placements
Recommendation: The Department for Education should ban the placement in semi-independent and independent settings of children aged 16 and 17 who have experienced, or are at heightened risk of experiencing, sexual exploitation. This should be implemented without delay.
Gov response: On 30 June 2022, the UK government provided the Inquiry with its provisional response to this recommendation. The UK government stated its final response to this recommendation would be provided within six months of the …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
10 — Publish enhanced Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit
Recommendation: As referenced in its Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy, the government should publish an enhanced version of its Child Exploitation Disruption Toolkit as soon as possible. This Toolkit must: specify that the core element of the definition of child sexual …
Gov response: On 30 June 2022, the UK government provided the Inquiry with its provisional response to this recommendation. The UK government stated its final response to this recommendation would be provided within six months of the …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
9 — Mandatory aggravating factor for CSE offences
Recommendation: The government should amend the Sentencing Act 2020 to provide a mandatory aggravating factor in sentencing in the case of the commission of an offence under Part 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 relating to a child, where (1) …
Gov response: In January 2025, the Home Secretary committed to legislate to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences. This commitment is being implemented through the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, currently …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
6 — Redraft canonical crimes as crimes against the child
Recommendation: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales should request that the Holy See redraft the canonical crimes relating to child sexual abuse as crimes against the child.
Gov response: On 30 September 2021, the Catholic Council for the Inquiry confirmed that Book VI of the Code of Canon Law determines the penal norms in order to give precise and sure guidance to those who …
Accepted
4 — National plan for overseas CSA by UK nationals
Recommendation: The Home Office should coordinate the development of a national plan of action addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation overseas by UK nationals and residents of England and Wales, involving input from all lead governmental agencies in the field.
Gov response: On 21 January 2021, the Home Office confirmed that it would implement this recommendation as part of the UK government's Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy. The strategy sets out the government's national plan of action …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
1 — Collect disaggregated CSE data
Recommendation: Police forces and local authorities in England and in Wales must collect data on all cases of known or suspected child sexual exploitation and child sexual exploitation by networks. These data should be separated from other data sets, including data …
Gov response: On 30 June 2022, the UK government provided the Inquiry with its provisional response to this recommendation. The UK government stated its final response to this recommendation would be provided within six months of the …
Accepted in Part
No update 2+ yrs
94 — CICA unspent convictions rule reform
Recommendation: The Chair and Panel recommend that the Ministry of Justice revises Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority rules, so that awards are not automatically rejected in circumstances where an applicant's criminal convictions are likely to be linked to their child sexual abuse. …
Gov response: The Government will consider how the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme can better serve victims of violent crime including child sexual abuse. The terms of reference for the review have been published, which will examine whether …
Not Accepted
R11 — Sexual offences intelligence retention
Recommendation: The Code of Practice should have particular regard to the factors to be considered when reviewing the retention or deletion of intelligence in cases of sexual offences.
Gov response: The Home Secretary made a statement to Parliament on 22 June 2004, the day the Bichard Inquiry Report was published, accepting all 31 recommendations in full. The government stated it was "in principle, accepting Sir …
Accepted