Preventing the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood.

Thanks so much again all for your interest and participation in our work on child criminal exploitation and the transition to adulthood.

I am delighted to share with you our briefing, attached: From exploited to exploiter? Preventing the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood.

The report looks at what happens when exploited children turn 18. While awareness of child criminal exploitation has improved, responses are still inconsistent and often punitive rather than protective.  Upon turning18, support drops away, exploitation continues, and young adults become increasingly at risk of being treated as perpetrators. With the Crime and Policing Bill introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation (CCE),our briefing welcomes this opportunity for children but warns of serious risks of young adults being criminalised as ‘exploiters’.

The briefing sets out characteristics of an effective response that protects, rather than punishes, criminally exploited young adults and calls for:  

• Ensure safeguarding and support extends beyond 18, with a distinct, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed approach for criminally exploited young adults.
• A cross-government taskforce and concordat on criminal exploitation, to tackle policy silos and ensure multi agency working.
• Support police, prosecutors and courts to recognise young adults’ continued vulnerability and complex exploitative dynamics, and make use of safeguards and protections against prosecution.
• Sustainable voluntary sector support to provide trusted, long-term relationships into adulthood.
• Review the National Referral Mechanism and Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act to strengthen their ability to support criminally exploited young adults.
• Ensure prosecutors properly apply the CPS public interest test and continually review cases to ensure victims of CCE don’t end up in court.
• The new offence of child criminal exploitation created under the Crime and Policing Bill must be accompanied by statutory guidance and training that addresses the risk of criminalising exploited young adults and promotes a safeguarding-led response.

Exploitation doesn’t stop at 18 but protection does. Responses for children are inconsistent, and the gap only widens into adulthood. With a new CCE offence coming, safeguards are vital so exploited young adults aren’t criminalised.

Thanks again to all of you who contributed to this work and to the Barrow Cadbury Trust for funding the series.

If you haven’t already signed up for our report launch event, taking place next Friday 19^th September, register here!