Cancel criminal records of child abuse survivors, says top official

PROPOSALS TO cancel the criminal records of child sexual exploitation survivors who were coerced into committing crimes as part of their abuse are being backed by a senior official at a police watchdog.

Independent Office for Police Conduct director of major investigations Steve Noonan said the organisation’s investigation into police misconduct over Rotherham child-sex abuse cases had highlighted the problem.

He said this week’s Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on the issue further reinforced the need for action, with a Law Commission review planned. Mr Noonan said: “As a society, we owe it to the brave survivors who came forward and shared their experiences to ensure lessons are learned.

“We are particularly pleased to see the report highlights the lasting and damaging effects this kind of abuse can have on survivors, including ending up with criminal records themselves. This is something we have seen through our own work.

“Some of the people we spoke to as part of our investigations into the police response to allegations of child sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 now have criminal records as a result of their actions while being exploited.

“In November we called for a review of the law surrounding such offences to provide better protection for vulnerable young people.

“We are encouraged by the commitment we received from the Law Commission to consider this as part of its next programme of law reform and we look forward to seeing the outcome of that work.”