Law moves to protect victims of sexual abuse and grooming

Last night Parliament passed Second Reading of the Crime and Policing Bill, moving it closer to becoming law and giving victims the justice they deserve .

𝘾𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙨

The Bill introduces new powers to tackle child sexual abuse and other sexual offences, strengthening protections for victims, and closing legal loopholes that have allowed offenders to evade justice. These changes help to tackle abhorrent child exploitation, online abuse, and the inadequacy of the current law in addressing emerging threats.

It will take forward two significant recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨

First, the bill would make grooming an aggravating factor in sentencing adults convicted of child sexual offences. This means that if an offender is found to have engaged in grooming behavior—such as building trust with a child, manipulating them, or coercing them into a vulnerable situation—this will lead to a more severe sentence.

By now recognising grooming as an aggravating factor, the courts will have the power to impose harsher penalties on those who exploit children in this way.

𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩

Secondly, the bill would introduce a legal duty to report child sexual abuse for those in positions of responsibility, such as teachers, healthcare workers, social workers, and potentially others who work closely with children.

Ensuring that cases are identified and acted upon at the earliest opportunity to prevent further harm to victims. There has never been an excuse for professionals who fail in their basic duty of care, or worse who turn a blind eye, but now there will be consequences.

𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙚

The Bill goes further to combat the creation and possession of child sexual abuse material. Given the rise in online exploitation and the increasing sophistication of offenders in distributing illegal content, the law brings in stronger penalties for offenders found guilty of producing, sharing, or possessing such material.

This would help the police and prosecutors better tackle the growing threat posed by online platforms being used to facilitate abuse.

“𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙝’𝙨 𝙇𝙖𝙬” 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚

Furthermore, the bill seeks to place ‘Sarah’s Law’—the child sex offender disclosure scheme—on a legal footing. Introduced in 2011, Sarah’s Law allows parents, carers, and guardians to request information from the police about whether an individual with access to a child has a history of child sexual offences.

𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨

The bill would also introduce several new offences including taking of intimate images and voyeurism, addressing growing concerns about non-consensual photography and the misuse of technology to exploit victims. This includes strengthening laws around ‘upskirting’ and ‘downblousing,’ as well as criminalising the sharing of intimate images without consent, commonly referred to as ‘revenge porn.’ These provisions aim to protect individuals from privacy violations and modern forms of sexual harassment that have been facilitated by digital communication and online platforms.

Taken together, these measures represent a significant step forward in addressing sexual offences, particularly those involving children and vulnerable individuals, creating a safer environment and ensuring that perpetrators of sexual crimes face the full force of the law.