UK Introduces New Laws Against Child Exploitation

Image credits: Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

The UK government is set to introduce new laws to protect children from exploitation, including a specific offence for "cuckooing" and child criminal exploitation. The Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament next week, aims to tackle the growing problem of child exploitation, particularly in the context of county lines drug dealing. According to the Home Office, around 14,500 children were identified as being at risk of child criminal exploitation (CCE) in 2023-24, although this figure is likely to be an underestimate.

The new law will make it a specific offence to use a child to commit criminal activity, with perpetrators facing up to 10 years in prison. Additionally, the law will introduce child criminal exploitation prevention orders, which will restrict suspected groomers from working with children, contacting specific people, or going to certain areas. Breaches of these orders will result in up to five years in prison. The exploitation of children and vulnerable people for criminal gain is a serious issue that requires a robust response, and the government's new laws aim to provide this. The laws will also include measures to tackle "cuckooing", where criminals take over the homes of vulnerable people for drug dealing, with perpetrators facing up to five years in prison.

The introduction of these new laws has been welcomed by charities and campaigners, who have long called for tougher action to protect children from exploitation. The children's commissioner, Rachel de Souza, said that the new law will provide "much-needed clarity" that exploited children are victims, and will help to create a child-centric justice system that puts safeguarding at its heart. The protection of children from exploitation is a critical issue, and the government's new laws aim to provide this. Mark Russell, the chief executive at The Children's Society, described the measures as a "vital step forward" that will finally shift the focus to perpetrators, rather than child victims.

The new laws will also include plans to explicitly outlaw spiking, with a new offence that will carry a prison term of up to 10 years. The government's crime and policing bill aims to tackle a range of issues related to crime and policing, including child exploitation, county lines drug dealing, and antisocial behaviour. The prevention of child exploitation requires a multi-agency approach, and the government's new laws aim to provide this. The introduction of these new laws is a significant step forward in the fight against child exploitation, and will help to protect vulnerable children from the devastating consequences of exploitation.

In terms of the timeline of events, the government's crime and policing bill will be introduced to Parliament next week, and is expected to become law later this year. The new laws will apply to England and Wales, and will provide a range of new powers and measures to tackle child exploitation. Some of the key points of the new laws include: the introduction of a specific offence for child criminal exploitation, the introduction of child criminal exploitation prevention orders, the outlawing of spiking, and the introduction of new measures to tackle cuckooing. The government's new laws aim to provide a robust response to the growing problem of child exploitation, and will help to protect vulnerable children from the devastating consequences of exploitation.