Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Cooper told MPs that the government would include mandatory reporting measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, to be put before parliament in the spring.
The measures will make it an offence to fail to report or to cover up child sexual abuse, with professional and criminal sanctions for those convicted of breaking the law.
“I first called for this measure in response to the reports and failings in Rotherham 10 years ago,” said Cooper. “The Prime Minister first called for it 12 years ago, based on his experience as director of public prosecutions. The case was clear then, but we have lost a decade and we need to get on with it now.”
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