Conservative Conference 2011: Exploited children left traumatised by justice system
Lauren Higgs
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Specialist sexual exploitation courts should be set up to spare child victims aggressive cross-examination by barristers representing perpetrators, the chief executive of Barnardo's has claimed.
Addressing a Conservative Party Conference fringe event organised by the charity, Anne-Marie Carrie warned that children are often deeply traumatised by their experience of the justice system.
"Recently we had a child who was cross-examined by nine barristers in court over four weeks because there were nine perpetrators," she explained. "She ran away from home. I don’t know what the worst abuse was – the actual sexual exploitation or what we did to her in the courts system.
"We have specialist domestic violence courts. We have specialist drug and alcohol courts. Can we begin to consider having specialist courts for children who are sexually exploited?"
Carrie argued that specialist courts would help improve the convictions rates of criminals who exploit children sexually.
"I am concerned about conviction rates," she said. "We know that last year there were 2,800 child sexual exploitation notifications reported to the Crown Prosecution Service – there were a paltry 89 convictions."
Children’s minister Tim Loughton backed Carrie’s call for a more sensitive courts system, saying that the "the book" must be thrown at perpetrators.
"This is not some harmless little crime, this is serious criminal abuse of some of the most vulnerable young people in society and it must be challenged and punished as such," he said.
"We’ve got to have a more sympathetic system in the courts whereby girls, in most cases, are not intimidated to the point where their evidence is completely undermined and incoherent."
Loughton added that the sexual exploitation action plan due to be published in autumn will set out proposals for supporting child victims.
"Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) are at the hub of this and we will see in the action plan an increased role for LSCBs," he said.
"Recently we had a child who was cross-examined by nine barristers in court over four weeks because there were nine perpetrators," she explained. "She ran away from home. I don’t know what the worst abuse was – the actual sexual exploitation or what we did to her in the courts system.
"We have specialist domestic violence courts. We have specialist drug and alcohol courts. Can we begin to consider having specialist courts for children who are sexually exploited?"
Carrie argued that specialist courts would help improve the convictions rates of criminals who exploit children sexually.
"I am concerned about conviction rates," she said. "We know that last year there were 2,800 child sexual exploitation notifications reported to the Crown Prosecution Service – there were a paltry 89 convictions."
Children’s minister Tim Loughton backed Carrie’s call for a more sensitive courts system, saying that the "the book" must be thrown at perpetrators.
"This is not some harmless little crime, this is serious criminal abuse of some of the most vulnerable young people in society and it must be challenged and punished as such," he said.
"We’ve got to have a more sympathetic system in the courts whereby girls, in most cases, are not intimidated to the point where their evidence is completely undermined and incoherent."
Loughton added that the sexual exploitation action plan due to be published in autumn will set out proposals for supporting child victims.
"Local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) are at the hub of this and we will see in the action plan an increased role for LSCBs," he said.
