Mandatory Reporting
IICSA · The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · Issued 20 October 2022 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, K.5
The Inquiry recommends that the UK government and Welsh Government introduce legislation which places certain individuals - 'mandated reporters' - under a statutory duty to report child sexual abuse where they: receive a disclosure of child sexual abuse from a child or perpetrator; or witness a child being sexually abused; or observe recognised indicators of child sexual abuse. The following persons should be designated 'mandated reporters': any person working in regulated activity in relation to children (under the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, as amended); any person working in a position of trust (as defined by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, as amended); and police officers. For the purposes of mandatory reporting, 'child sexual abuse' should be interpreted as any act that would be an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 where the alleged victim is a child under the age of 18. Where the child is aged between 13 and under 16 years old, a report need not be made where the mandated reporter reasonably believes that: the relationship between the parties is consensual and not intimidatory, exploitative or coercive; and the child has not been harmed and is not at risk of being harmed; and there is no material difference in capacity or maturity between the parties engaged in the sexual activity concerned, and there is a difference in age of no more than three years. These exceptions should not, however, apply where the alleged perpetrator is in a position of trust within the meaning of the 2003 Act. Where the child is under the age of 13, a report must always be made. Reports should be made to either local authority children's social care or the police as soon as is practicable. It should be a criminal offence for mandated reporters to fail to report child sexual abuse where they: are in receipt of a disclosure of child sexual abuse from a child or perpetrator; or witness a child being sexually abused.
IICSA, The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse · 20 Oct 2022 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- On 22 May 2023, the government launched a call for evidence on mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, followed by a public consultation on proposals (Mandatory Reporting Consultation, Home Office, May 2023).
- In January 2025, the government committed to legislate for a mandatory reporting duty for child sexual abuse.
- No published legislation enacting a mandatory reporting duty has been identified to March 2026.
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
We accept the need for mandatory reporting; the Government has agreed to implement a mandatory reporting regime for child sexual abuse which will be informed by a full public consultation, beginning with the publication of a Call for Evidence alongside this response.
UK Government · 22 May 2023 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 29 Apr 2026 · Home Office The Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20) received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Part 5, Chapter 2 (sections 85 to 95) introduces a statutory duty for individuals undertaking key roles with responsibility for children and young people in England to report child sexual abuse when they are made aware of it, with a new criminal offence of obstructing a person from making a report. The duty is not yet in force; commencement regulations are required (sections 255 to 256). The Act does not attach criminal sanctions to a failure to report; failure to comply may instead result in referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Source →
- 31 Jan 2026 Mandatory reporting duty provisions in Crime and Policing Bill progressing through Lords Committee stage (January 2026). Bill creates criminal offence for obstructing reports (up to 7 years imprisonment). Full implementation programme during 2026, with duty commencement approximately 12 months post-Royal Assent. Source →
- 8 Apr 2025 Introducing statutory mandatory reporting duty through Crime and Policing Bill currently before Parliament; creating criminal offense for obstruction. Full implementation program in 2026, with duty commencement approximately 12 months post-Royal Assent. Source →
- 21 Jan 2025 · Home Affairs Select Committee Professor Alexis Jay told Home Affairs Committee that £187m was spent on IICSA and "to date none of its final recommendations had been implemented." Called for "full implementation" saying "get it done." View source → No Meaningful Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.