Tag: grooming

People who were groomed and sexually abused as children, then later prosecuted for crimes linked to exploitation, are still facing long term harm. A major report author says the current government response does not fully address the scale of wrongful convictions and needs a broader approach. Background of the issue A senior investigator who led a national inquiry into grooming exploitation cases has raised concerns about the way past convictions are being handled. She previously urged authorities to cancel convictions of victims who were punished for offences committed while they were being abused. The government has introduced a law aimed at pardoning certain prostitution related offences involving children. However, critics say this step is too limited and does not address the wider group of survivors affected by similar convictions. Concerns over the current approach The investigator described the current policy as an easy solution that avoids deeper action. She argues that a proper system should be created to review and cancel all convictions that were influenced by child sexual exploitation. She believes the existing process lacks care and structure, leaving many survivors without justice. In her view, the response so far has not met the needs of those affected. Government response Officials say they will continue working on reviewing convictions where a person’s childhood abuse may have influenced criminal behaviour. They also encourage affected individuals to contact the official body responsible for reviewing potential wrongful convictions. Survivor experience One survivor, using a protected identity, described how she was abused from a young age and repeatedly exploited by many men across different locations. Despite being a child at the time, she was arrested multiple times and treated as an offender. She received her first conviction at 17 for offences linked to street solicitation. At the time, she did not understand what was happening to her and was labelled in court as a sex worker. Years later, she recognises she was being exploited and raped throughout that period. She says the system failed to protect her and instead punished her for actions linked to abuse.
News

Survivors of grooming cases say conviction review plan does not go far enough

People who were groomed and sexually abused as children, then later prosecuted…

Register Lost your password?