Trigger warning: This article contains discussions of sexual abuse, child criminal exploitation, grooming, technology assisted child abuse.
The Crime and Policing Bill (2025) was announced in parliament yesterday (25 February 2025) by Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary. This bill takes into consideration four of the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) from 2022.
The following recommendations have been announced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill:
- To introduce a new legal duty for people in key roles with responsibility for children and young people in England to report sexual abuse when they are made aware of it.
In line with the recommendation from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), this bill introduces a clear legal requirement for anyone in regulated activity relating to children in England to report to police and/or the local authority if they are made aware a child is being sexually abused; either by being told about it by a child or perpetrator or witnessing the abuse themselves. The bill states that a report must be made as soon as reasonably practicable to prevent the risk of harm, however in circumstances which involve risk to the life of the child, they may be delayed for a maximum of seven days.
- To create a new criminal offence of obstructing a person from making a report under the duty.
The bill has introduced a new criminal offense of obstructing an individual from making a report under the mandatory reporting duty (above). The hope is that this will address the culture of denial and long-term under reporting of child sexual abuse which was a key theme in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
- To remove the supervision exemption from the definition of regulated activity.
Currently in England, if an individual is supervised in their role, then they are not classed as being in regulated activity with children. This bill will remove the current supervision exemption from the definition of regulated activity, as recommended by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). This will allow these individuals to be eligible for the highest level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, regardless of whether they are working under supervision or not. Organisations will therefore be able to find out whether these individuals are on the DBS’s children’s barred list.
- The legislation is to make grooming an aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences.
The presence of the aggravating factor means that the offending is more serious, so that a more substantial penalty can be imposed. This offense will be related to the grooming of a person under 18.
- To create a new criminal offense to prosecute adults committing child criminal exploitation.
The bill will make it an offence for an adult to use a child to commit any criminal activity. This new offense will carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
- To introduce new laws to address online child sexual abuse material.
The bill will make it illegal to adapt, possess, supply or offer to supply a Child Sexual Abuse image generator. The bill will also create a new offense which will criminalise those who provide, maintain and/or moderate online services such as websites which are being used to share child sexual abuse imagery or commit other child sexual abuse offenses.
You can read the bill here:
What we would like to see in the bill.
As the UK’s leading independent Christian safeguarding charity, a core participant in the Inquiry, and a member of the IICSA Changemakers group, we are pleased that the government has begun to act on these critical issues after a two-year delay. However, we believe it is important for their to be a clear definition of child criminal exploitation and grooming alongside the offenses proposed to ensure clarity around theses offenses and to fully protect victims.
Although we welcome the supervision exception, we would also urge the government to further review the definition of regulated activity. As this is now the basis for those expected to report child sexual abuse, it is important that this is clear, fit for purpose and takes into considerations all contexts where regulated activities occur, including faith communities.
Katy Jackson, Public Policy and Advocacy Manager, Thirtyone:eight says, “We welcome the announcement of the Crime and Policing Bill from the Home Office. Many of the measures outlined in the bill are critical steps forward in further protecting children in England and Wales from abuse and harm. We urge the Home Office to continue to work with faith-based organisations to understand the impact of the bill to strengthen the implementation of the bill in these contexts.”
Thirtyone:eight is committed to continuing to work with the Government and others to help fulfil our collective duty to protect children and adults and provide justice for survivors of child sexual abuse. Our manifesto – Together we can, a manifesto for a safer society, outlines our key asks across the UK. Through the focus provided in our manifesto and our role as Secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities, which is now re-registered, we will seek to work together to achieve the level of change the Inquiry has recommended and that the brave testimony of survivors has shown us needs to happen.