A: The Serious Crime Act received Royal Assent on 3 March and introduces provisions concerning children in several key areas. First, the act introduces new offences that seek to punish perpetrators of child sexual abuse, including a new offence of sexual communication with a child.
Second, it introduces several provisions that aim to protect children from female genital mutilation (FGM), including a duty on healthcare professionals, teachers and social workers to report to the police known cases of FGM carried out on girls under the age of 18, a new offence of failing to protect a girl from the risk of FGM, the provision of lifelong anonymity to victims of FGM, and the issuance of "FGM protection orders" by the courts to protect potential victims.
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