EXCLUSIVE: No outcome from almost 25% of Child Sexual Exploitation reports in 2020
Nearly 1,000 reports made to West Yorkshire Police in 2020 are still on-going
We can exclusively reveal that almost 25% of child sexual exploitation reports made over a year ago to West Yorkshire Police haven't received an outcome yet.
Nearly 1,000 reports made in 2020 are still on-going.
This year alone 45% of cases are still ongoing.
We spoke to West Yorkshire's deputy mayor for police and crime about the findings:
What happens when a young person makes a report about child sexual exploitation?
When a young person reports CSE to anyone, whether that be the police or school, they'll be an immediate safeguarding support placed around that child and their family, depending on the alleged perpetrator.
Victim support will be involved, as well as social and children social services, who can remove the child if necessary.
The child will have an assigned liaison person from the police to explain the process to them and what's happening, depending on their age.
Why are cases still on-going years later?
Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire's deputy mayor for police and crime explains the reasons that cases can take a long time to conclude:
"Today you might think that person committed an offence yesterday, they shouldn't be out on the street. But, the reason that person is out on the street, is because CPS have not given permission to charge that person and often the route to charging that person is very long and the police have to complete a huge case file, before permission is given for the charge and for that to go to court.
"Covid has had a massive impact, yes, we've got the court system working flat out now, but it's still an enormous back log, we're almost a year behind, obviously that's not acceptable.
"It could be a stranger attack and the child doesn't know who it is, the identity can't be ascertained.
"The vulnerability of the child could mean that CPS are not convinced it will stand up in court, if the child has discussed it with a 3rd party, the clarity of that memory will be bought into question.
"There could be a reason the perpetrator isn't fit to stand trial.
"If we manage to get it to court, and that's a huge if, for that child they'll be all sorts of impediments and that will be the reliability of the witness, if they've been in any way coerced or if someone's asked them about the offence, which means their evidence is tainted.
"There's a whole range of factors that will determine if that child gets justice."
What are the impacts on the children who have made a report to the police?
Alison Lowe continued:
"One of the reasons I didn't report my rape is because victims don't think they're going to be believed, and even if you do manage to get engagement from the police and move through the process, the process is so painful, so dehumanising, that many, many victims chose to give up or not bother entering the system in the first place."