The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Child Protection and Abuse Investigation (CPAI) Lead is encouraging all to add their voice to the government’s consultation on Mandatory Reporting following a recommendation made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

As the NPCC Lead for CPAI, Ian Critchley said: 
“Following publication of the IICSA final report and recommendations
made, a core ambition for many organisations, including policing, to work together to prevent child sexual abuse and provide better support for victims and survivors. The Home Office has already responded by launching the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Taskforce, a national programme working to enhance the policing response to child CSE and improve how we engage with victims and survivors, but we know there is more to do. 

“The call for evidence from the Home Office is an important step forward in the progression of this work to ensure improved outcomes for some of our most vulnerable members of society.”

The IICSA was set up in 2015 following serious concerns that multiple organisations had failed and were continuing to fail to protect children in their care from sexual abuse. A final report containing 20 recommendations was published in October 2022.   Recommendation 13 from the Inquiry suggested that the UK and Welsh Government introduce legislation which places certain individuals – ‘mandated reporters’ – under a statutory duty to report child sexual abuse where they receive a disclosure from a child or preparator, witness a child being sexually abused or observe recognised indicators of child sexual abuse.   The response to this recommendation will be informed by a public consultation which has now been launched by the Home Office as a call for evidence.

Mr Critchley continues “Whilst many organisations have a vital role in responding to the recommendations made, it is also essential that members of the public contribute to this essential consultation. We must not lose sight of why this work is important – the outcome will directly benefit victims and survivors of the most abhorrent crimes and help police forces across England and Wales bring more offenders to justice.”

The call for evidence is open for responses until Monday 14 August 2023 and can be found via this link.

Notes to editors

• Ian Critchley is the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Child Protection Abuse Investigation; he began this role on Monday 5 June 2023 as a police staff member following his retirement from Merseyside Police as Deputy Chief Constable. As serving police officer he was CPAI lead for two years
• Find out more about the CSE Taskforce by visiting The Hydrant Programme
• The final report from the IICSA was published in October 2022, with Government responding to recommendations made in May 2023