Thousands Of Local Youngsters Facing Child Cruelty

There's a call for a change in the law to help protect more teenagers in Yorkshire and the Humber who are at risk of child cruelty.

New figures show more than 4,000 children aged 16 and 17 across the region are deemed by social services to be 'in need' and facing neglect or ill-treatment.

But current legislation means they aren't protected in the same way as vulnerable younger children.

The Children's Society is now urging MPs to extend this child cruelty law to help support more young people.

Sam Royston is from the organisation and told Viking FM:

"In one case, a 16-year-old girl died as a result of her family failing to provide her with crucial medical assistance for three days. In cases like that police often will want to prosecute but feel they don't have the tools that would enable them to do so.

"Providing that same level of protection would help to ensure not only would prosecutions be more possible in cases where tragic consequences do occur, but professionals take the needs of 16 and 17 year olds more seriously.

He says recent child exploitation cases mean it's even more important that this is now extended to cover all children:

"In too many cases we are seeing older teenagers being exploited and the same protection from exploitation do not apply to 16 and 17 year olds because of the law on child cruelty and neglect."

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, says:

“It is nonsensical and unacceptable that adults cannot be prosecuted for behaviour against children aged 16 or 17 that would be considered cruelty if the victim was 15. If MPs are serious about stopping child cruelty – including child sexual exploitation – they must act to close this legal loophole when it is debated in Parliament in the New Year.”