Stronger support urged for CSE victims

Speaking at CYP Now’s Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation conference, Graham Ritchie, policy lead for child sexual abuse (CSA) at the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, said the chance of a conviction in a case of CSE or CSA can depend on the personality and competence of an individual police officer.

He said steps should be taken to mitigate that risk, adding that consideration should be given to providing victims with trained intermediaries.

“I think that at the very least we need to seriously consider whether or not it should be necessary for intermediaries to be present at every interview,” Ritchie said.

“It’s really about the competence of individuals who implement [the guidance] in the right way. Some can and some can’t.”

An intermediary is a trained communications expert whose job is to to help children understand the legal process of their case. There is currently no legal requirement to provide this.

“I know that’s a big burden and a big ask, but in my view if the only piece of evidence you have is what the child is able to say during an interview then its absolutely essential that the interview is done to the highest possible standard," Ritchie added.

“And a failure to do so is a terrible failure to that child. On that basis we have to think quite radically and big about how we manage that entire disclosure process among professionals to ensure that by the time it goes to a court it’s been very tightly managed and it’s the best possible evidence.”

The NSPCC previously called for all young witnesses to have access to a registered intermediary in 2014, arguing it was necessary for children to understand the court process.