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Offences against Children: Prosecutions

Asked by Carla LockhartDemocratic Unionist PartyMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 6 June 2025UIN 56376

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase prosecution rates for online child sexual exploitation offences and (b) support victims throughout the legal process.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones

The Government continues work to deliver meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girl's statement made to Parliament on 08 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation and respond to the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. The full statement can be found here: Hansard

Under the Victims’ Code, all victims including children and young people, are entitled to be given information about their case and be referred to victim support services by the police to help them cope and recover. Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales also receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice’s victim and witness budget to commission support services for victims of all crime types and all ages. This includes funding for Independent Sexual Violence Advisors who play an important role in supporting victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, including children and young people, through the criminal justice process.

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