Criminal justice system fails sex abuse victims, warns report
Laura McCardle
Friday, December 19, 2014
Victims of child sex abuse are being failed by the criminal justice system, an inspection report has concluded.
The Achieving Best Evidence in Child Abuse Cases report, jointly compiled by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, warns that the police are using “inappropriate question techniques” when interviewing children as young as four years old.
It also warns that the police are failing to consider the needs of sex abuse victims when conducting interviews for criminal trials and claims that inspectors reported that there was no record of the specific needs of the child being considered in 77 per cent of the interviews they monitored.
The report, which is based on a series of inspections conducted in February and March this year, also warns that young victims of sex abuse are being interviewed in “sterile” rooms that are not child-friendly.
Inspectors also found that police were failing to adhere to the latest version of the Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings guidance, revised by the Ministry of Justice in March 2011, which outlines how interviews should be conducted.
The report recommends that police forces take swift action to improve their handling of young victims and adhere to the guidance when conducting interviews for criminal trials.
The report comes just four months after an independent report by Professor Alexis Jay revealed that South Yorkshire Police gave no regard to victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham, “regarding many child victims with contempt and failing to act on their abuse as a crime”.
Inspector of constabulary Dru Sharpling said urgent improvements have to be made in order to support vulnerable children.
She said: “We were very concerned to find that children in cases of CSE and rape are being let down.
“They aren’t being provided with the support they need to give their best evidence to the court.”
Javed Khan, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said it is vital that victims of child sex abuse receive appropriate support.
He said: “Barnardo’s believes that partnership working is the best way to support young people and assist the police to identify victims and gather evidence against perpetrators.
“It is vital that all efforts are made by the criminal justice system to make this process as effective and sensitive as possible – both for the child’s wellbeing and also to get the best possible chance of bringing abusers to justice.
“This means ensuring that the authorities have the necessary guidance and training to effectively support abused children and that practice is monitored regularly.”
