The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Grooming crimes at a record high
The number of grooming crimes in Scotland has risen by 80% in the last five years to the highest on record, according to newly obtained figures.
Police Scotland data released by the children’s charity NSPCC Scotland found that 685 offences of communicating indecently with a child were recorded between April 2020 and March 2021.
It marks an 80% jump from the 381 offences recorded in 2015-16 – and a 5% increase on the 2019-20 figure of 651.
There were 462 offences in 2016-17, 429 in 2017-18 and 581 in 2018-19, making 2020-21’s figures the highest on record.
One 15-year-old girl who contacted the charity’s Childline counsellors told them: “I’ve been chatting with this guy who’s like twice my age.
“This all started on Instagram but lately our chats have been on WhatsApp.
“He seemed really nice to begin with, but then he started making me do these things to ‘prove my trust to him’, like doing video chats with my chest exposed.”
The data also showed that offences against children under the age of 13 were up 11% from 334 to 370 between 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Despite this, the charity is continuing to call on social media companies and the UK Government to do more.
Joanne Smith, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “The failings of tech firms are resulting in record numbers of children being groomed and sexually abused online.
“To respond to the size and complexity of the threat, the UK Government must make child protection a priority in legislation and ensure the Online Safety Bill does everything necessary to prevent online abuse.”
A UK Government spokeswoman said: “Keeping children safe is one of our highest priorities and the strongest measures contained in the Online Safety Bill are designed to protect children.
“If social media companies do not properly assess or take action against the risks their sites pose to children, they will face heavy fines or have their sites blocked.
“The Bill will further make tech companies accountable to an independent regulator.
“We are clear that companies must continue to take responsibility for stopping the intolerable level of harmful material on their platforms and embed public safety in their system designs, which is why the Bill will also compel them to consider the risks associated with all elements of their services and take robust action to keep their users safe.”
A Facebook spokesman told the PA news agency: “This is abhorrent behaviour and we work quickly to find it, remove it and report it to the relevant authorities.
“We also block adults from messaging under-18s they’re not connected with and have introduced technology that makes it harder for potentially suspicious accounts to find young people.”