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Victims of familial child sexual abuse 'unseen and unheard'

3 mins read Children's Services Social Care
Local agencies are often "woefully ill-equipped" to deal with child sex abuse in families leaving victims "unseen and unheard", a scathing report has found.
Ofsted's chief inspector Amanda Spielman said "prevention is better than protection". Picture: Ofsted
Ofsted's chief inspector Amanda Spielman said "prevention is better than protection". Picture: Ofsted

A report by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, as well as the Prison and Probation and Fire & Rescue Service inspectorates, also found that "ineffective" criminal investigations are, in the worst cases, leaving children at risk, and calls for action to tackle the issue.

The inspectorates said there is a "worrying lack of knowledge and focus" on familial abuse from all local agencies responsible for dealing with it including children’s social care, health professionals, youth offending services, the police, and probation officers.

They said that while agencies have improved their response to child grooming outside the home, the less high-profile issue of familial sex abuse - sexual abuse by a family member or someone close to the family - is not getting the priority it needs.

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