Child exploitation criminalisation
Systemic failure to divert children and young people exploited by criminal gangs away from the criminal justice system.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 5 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
13 inquiry recs
2 PFD reports
19 committee recs
5 IMB recs
9 LGO/SPSO decisions
Browse by source
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(13)
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
FR-15 — Remove Limitation Period
Recommendation: The Inquiry recommends that the UK government makes the necessary changes to legislation in order to ensure: the removal of the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in respect of …
Gov response: We accept the critical issue this recommendation seeks to remedy, and we will consult on strengthening existing judicial guidance in child sexual abuse cases and set out options to reform limitation law in child sexual …
Accepted in Part
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
57 — Distinguish CSE risk from actual exploitation
Recommendation: The Department for Education and the Welsh Government must ensure that their updated national guidance makes clear that signs that a child is being sexually exploited must never be treated as indications that a child is only 'at risk' of …
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
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
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
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
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
99 — Honours forfeiture for CSA convictions
Recommendation: The criteria for forfeiture of all honours must be formally extended to include convictions, cautions and cases decided by trial of the facts involving offences of child sexual abuse. This must be set out in a published policy and procedure, …
Gov response: On 30 September 2021, the Cabinet Office updated its guidance in relation to honours forfeiture. Anybody convicted of a sexual offence will be considered for forfeiture regardless of the sentence they receive. Anybody found to …
Accepted
37 — Westminster whistleblowing policies for CSA
Recommendation: Government, political parties and other Westminster institutions must have whistleblowing policies and procedures which cover child sexual abuse and exploitation. Every employee must be aware that they can raise any concerns using these policies and that the policies are not …
Gov response: On 18 September 2020, the UK government confirmed that all government departments have whistleblowing policies in place. It confirmed that Civil Service HR has a model policy to support departments in ensuring their policies are …
Accepted
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
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
Prevention of Future Deaths reports(2)
Dainton Gittos
Concerns: The coroner questioned why charges under the Children and Young Persons Act were not brought against the parents, given the evidence presented.
Overdue
Leonardo Machado
Concerns: A lack of oversight regarding the 'rental' of food delivery licenses to children under 18 places them in vulnerable lone-working situations, increasing their risk of road traffic collisions and harm.
Response (Uber Eats): Uber Eats uses industry-leading account-sharing detection technology, including real-time identity verification software requiring couriers to take selfies that are compared with their profile photo and monitors for suspicious behaviors that …
Response (Deliveroo): Deliveroo has strengthened checks and processes to ensure rider accounts are only used by authorized individuals, including biometric checks and identity verification, and has a dedicated team investigating potential account …
Response (Just Eats): Just Eat has introduced enhanced checks to ensure substitutes meet requirements set for all couriers, requiring pre-registration, biometric checks, and document submission to prove age and right to work; random …
Response (Health and Safety Executive): HSE acknowledges concerns about rental of permits, employment of minors and lone working, but notes that road traffic accidents are generally a police matter. They highlight existing guidance and legislation, …
Responded
Select committee recommendations(19)
#110 —
Recommendation: ILPA notes that “[t]his provision disproportionately impacts survivors who were forced to commit crimes as part of their exploitation and who have received convictions. Analysis conducted in 2024 clearly demonstrates that, of the 338 people disqualified (including 40 children): 70% …
Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …
Not Accepted
#106 —
Recommendation: Sarah Dineley, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at the CPS, stated: “[i]t is vital that, wherever possible, victims of trafficking are identified before any decisions are made on charge and prosecution; this is particularly important where the suspect is a child …
Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …
Under Consideration
#36 — Adopt a statutory definition of Child Criminal Exploitation to ensure consistent application.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Government consider adopting a statutory definition on Child Criminal Exploitation.
Gov response: The Government accepts these recommendations. The Drug Strategy sets out a whole-system approach to tackling county lines, combining targeted law enforcement action with comprehensive measures to reduce demand for drugs and to re-build the drug …
Under Consideration
#98 — Introduce a statutory definition of child criminal exploitation to protect victims and ensure justice.
Recommendation: We are disappointed that the Government does not currently agree that there is compelling evidence to introduce a statutory definition of child criminal exploitation. We urge the Government to read our evidence and to consider introducing a statutory definition to …
Gov response: 98. We have carefully reviewed the previous commitment to provide 12 months of support to confirmed victims of modern slavery and concluded that the existing needs- based approach through the Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) ensures …
Under Consideration
#97 — Lack of statutory definition for child criminal exploitation causes wrongful prosecutions and inconsistent treatment.
Recommendation: We are deeply concerned that the absence of a statutory definition of child criminal exploitation, and the consequent different interpretations of this crime, leads to children continuing to be prosecuted for crimes committed as a result of exploitation—for example, drug-related …
Gov response: 98. We have carefully reviewed the previous commitment to provide 12 months of support to confirmed victims of modern slavery and concluded that the existing needs- based approach through the Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) ensures …
Under Consideration
#118 —
Recommendation: The implications for Albanian women and children are particularly concerning. For example, an Albanian woman who has been trafficked to the UK and faces a real risk of reprisals and re-trafficking upon return to Albania, could be returned to Albania …
Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …
Under Consideration
#107 —
Recommendation: Whilst survivors of modern slavery should be able to access the ‘Section 45’ defence,142 created to prevent the criminalisation of survivors for offences they were compelled to commit as a result of their exploitation, After Exploitation points out that “its …
Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …
Under Consideration
#33 — Vital to keep exploited children and young people out of criminal justice system.
Recommendation: To tackle county lines, we believe it is vital that the children and young people exploited (or at risk of exploitation) by criminal gangs are kept out of the criminal justice system.
Gov response: The Government accepts these recommendations. The Drug Strategy sets out a whole-system approach to tackling county lines, combining targeted law enforcement action with comprehensive measures to reduce demand for drugs and to re-build the drug …
Accepted
#9 —
Recommendation: The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is a contentious issue with substantial arguments in favour both of the status quo age of 10 and an increase in that age. We are not persuaded that it should be …
Gov response: 30. The Government does not have any current plans to either review or change the age of criminal responsibility. The Committee acknowledged that there are substantial arguments for the retention of the current minimum age …
Under Consideration
#37 — Pilot inclusion of Prevention Officers within County Lines Taskforces to share good practice.
Recommendation: We welcome the British Transport Police’s efforts to improve responses to child exploitation through the secondment of two Prevention Officers from the Children’s Society. We recommend that the Government work with other police forces with a dedicated County Lines Taskforce …
Gov response: The Government partially accepts this recommendation. The Home Office has committed to funding the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) for a further two years, building on over £120m invested since 2019. The NCLCC works …
Partially Accepted
#35 — Link children and young people's drug treatment services with exploitation services for holistic support.
Recommendation: We recommend that the Government work with local partners to link up drug treatment services for children and young people with exploitation services to ensure that they receive holistic support.
Gov response: The Government accepts these recommendations. The Drug Strategy sets out a whole-system approach to tackling county lines, combining targeted law enforcement action with comprehensive measures to reduce demand for drugs and to re-build the drug …
Accepted
#10 —
Recommendation: We recommend that the Ministry review the age of criminal responsibility, considering the data available from Scotland and from broadly comparable European and other jurisdictions in which the age is higher than 10 at which it stands in England and …
Gov response: 30. The Government does not have any current plans to either review or change the age of criminal responsibility. The Committee acknowledged that there are substantial arguments for the retention of the current minimum age …
Under Consideration
#21 —
Recommendation: Whilst the number of children in youth custody across all ethnicities has reduced (by 73%) between 2010–11 and 2020–21, the proportion from ethnic minority backgrounds has increased (from 32% to 53%).54 Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice drew our attention to …
Gov response: 6: PAC conclusion: The Ministry of Justice and Home Office seem to lack curiosity about the increase in the proportion of children from ethnic minority background in youth custody and appear to have no current …
Accepted
#20 —
Recommendation: Between 2010–11 and 2020–21, the number of children cautioned or sentenced for an offence reduced from 85,300 to 15,751 (an 82% reduction) and the number of first- time entrants to the youth criminal justice system reduced from 46,012 to 8,848 …
Gov response: 6: PAC conclusion: The Ministry of Justice and Home Office seem to lack curiosity about the increase in the proportion of children from ethnic minority background in youth custody and appear to have no current …
Accepted
#6 —
Recommendation: The Ministry of Justice and Home Office seem to lack curiosity about the increase in the proportion of children from ethnic minority background in youth custody and appear to have no current plan to address the situation. While the number …
Gov response: 2023. This is the government’s response to the Committee’s report. Relevant reports • NAO report: Investigation into the management of backlogs in driving licence applications – Session 2022-23 (HC 851) • PAC report: Driving licence …
Accepted
#1 —
Recommendation: Extremism is evolving rapidly and becoming more complex. Long-standing terrorist threats remain but new forms of extremism are emerging and give rise to growing concern. The impact of geo-political events is likely to intensify in light of continuing conflict in …
Gov response: Home Office analysis and insight functions provide world-leading analysis of terrorist and extremist use of propaganda and exploitation of the internet. To support this crucial objective, the Home Office undertakes open-source research to better understand …
Under Consideration
#32 — Drug strategy requires further action to prevent exploitation of children by county lines.
Recommendation: We welcome the 10-Year Drug Strategy’s commitment to rolling up county lines but increasing law enforcement efforts is only one part of the solution. We therefore welcome the strategy’s commitment to reducing demand for drugs and to re- building the …
Gov response: The Government accepts these recommendations. The Drug Strategy sets out a whole-system approach to tackling county lines, combining targeted law enforcement action with comprehensive measures to reduce demand for drugs and to re-build the drug …
Accepted
#9 —
Recommendation: Prevent is poorly adapted to deal with the digital world. We have outlined how online spaces are now central to the radicalisation process, particularly for young people, yet Prevent lacks the specialist knowledge or framework for identifying and assessing credible …
Gov response: Lord David Anderson set out clearly in his ‘Lessons for Prevent’ report in July 2025 the challenges posed by the shift towards online radicalisation. The Home Office and Counter-Terrorism Police continue to adapt to this …
Accepted
#7 — Embed a safeguarding approach to prosecute paramilitary activity as modern slavery and exploitation.
Recommendation: Low prosecution rates for those who commit violent crime can act as a barrier to reporting the crimes of paramilitary groups and serve to perpetuate the impunity with which these groups act. An effective criminal justice system able to identify …
Gov response: The UK Government acknowledges the importance of work to ensure that the Northern Ireland framework for safeguarding children and young people protects those abused by paramilitary or organised crime gangs. This is a policy area …
Not Addressed
IMB individual recommendations(5)
Feltham (2024)
To the Mayor of London: what is he doing to address knife crime and gang conflict in London?
Other
In Progress
Feltham (2024)
What is the Government doing to address youth knife crime and gang culture, which leads young people to custody with very long sentences for crimes of extreme violence?
Ministry of Justice
In Progress
Feltham (2025)
Address knife crime and gang conflict in London (Mayor of London).
Other
Feltham (2025)
Address youth knife crime and gang culture.
Ministry of Justice
Wetherby (2020)
Increasing numbers of YP are charged with violent offences and are placed in custody, either sentenced or on remand. What is being done at a national level to reduce the levels of violence among YP?
Ministry of Justice
Accepted
LGO / SPSO decisions(9)
22-003-490 — Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a failure by the Council to take action to assist Ms X’s family when a child was being exploited. The complaint is late and there is no good reason to consider it now.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Jun 2022
24-005-324 — Lancashire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. This is because there is no sign of fault in the Council’s decision not to consider his complaint whilst there are ongoing court proceedings.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Jul 2024
24-004-715 — Surrey County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement in Ms X’s child’s case. The law prevents us investigating complaints about what happened in court, and we have no power to overturn a court decision and return Ms X’s child to her care.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Jul 2024
24-004-580 — London Borough of Havering
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement in Mr X’s child’s case. The matter is being considered by the courts, and we are therefore prevented in law from investigating it.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Jul 2024
24-003-323 — Nottinghamshire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with matters concerning a safeguarding matter. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Jul 2024
24-021-357 — London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s involvement with her child. The law prevents us from investigating anything that has been the subject of court proceedings or could have reasonably been raised in court. We cannot achieve the outcome Ms X wants.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Apr 2025
24-021-015 — West Northamptonshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s involvement with her children. The law prevents us from investigating anything that is the subject of court proceedings. We also cannot achieve the outcome Miss X wants.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Apr 2025
24-020-426 — Kent County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council failed to properly consider the complainant’s concerns about the placement of her children with their father. This is because the complaint concerns matters which have been considered and decided in court, or are closely related to such matters.
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Apr 2025
24-011-580 — London Borough of Haringey
Summary: Miss X complained the Council has failed to properly investigate her complaints about the Council’s actions following the decision to place her grandson in her care. She also complained the Council has failed to address her concerns or provide an appropriate remedy. We found the Council’s failure to provide …
LGO (Local Government & …
Children S Care Services
Upheld
Apr 2025