‘Urgent’ need to keep children safe online

THE Soham murders inquiry chairman has backed The Telegraph’s Duty of Care Campaign, demanding that ministers do more to keep children safe online.

Lord Bichard, a cross-bench peer, said that while awareness about child safety has improved in the past 15 years, the Government needs to “get real” and understand that “we live in the different world now”.

He said there is an “urgent” need for new legislation to protect youngsters on social media and digital platforms, since “grooming takes place online more than anywhere else”.

Lord Bichard was appointed by the Government to investigate major safeguarding failures in the wake of the murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 by Ian Huntley, their school caretaker.

Applying under a different name, Huntley got the job at the girls’ school despite coming to the attention of police on numerous occasions, including for grooming teenage girls.

“I feel as a result of Soham that the Government responded positively,” he told The Sunday Telegraph. “But the world has changed dramatically since 2004 and it is this issue of online access and online grooming that we need to focus on.”

In what became known as the Bichard Report, he made a number of recommendations subsequently acted on by ministers. The disclosure and barring scheme was introduced, so that people working with children and vulnerable adults had to undergo background checks. A police national database was set up so that information about dangerous individuals can be shared between forces.

“None of us want there to be a tragedy like the Soham tragedy to prompt action,” said Lord Bichard, a former permanent secretary. “How do you make sure children are as protected when they are online as when they are walking around the streets?”

Lord Bichard, a non-executive director at The Key, a safeguarding information service for school leaders, said that there is currently “no comprehensive strategy” for a joined up safeguarding approach that connects schools, parents and social media providers.

“We need social media providers to accept the kind of duty of care that The Telegraph is promoting,” he added.

He urged the Government to act quickly as he voiced frustration at the current pace of change.

“[We have been promised] a white paper… followed by consultation, followed by legislation who knows when,” he said. “I think they should be heeding the call of The Telegraph’s campaign and do something about it sooner rather than later.”