NSPCC Cymru / Wales statement – Close the Loophole

The Home Office has announced its Child Sexual Abuse Strategy today, following Welsh Government’s own plan in 2019.

Crucially, the UK Government’s strategy does not close a legal loophole we’ve long been calling for via our Close the Loophole campaign, which leaves some adults open to abusing positions of trust to have sexual contact with 16 and 17 year-olds in their care.

Policy and Public Affairs Manager for NSPCC Cymru / Wales, Cecile Gwilym says:

“Throughout this pandemic the NSPCC Helpline and Childline have received more than 40 contacts a day UK-wide about child sexual abuse. While it’s encouraging that people are reporting their concerns, we know there will be many cases that go unreported, which is why more must be done to protect children from harm and to make sure that support services are accessible to help children who have been abused to recover. 

Welsh Government published a plan to prevent child sexual abuse in 2019, which has begun to address both those issues. It can now do more to ensure no child in Wales is left unprotected, by holding colleagues in Westminster to account for not closing a legal loophole that enables some adults to abuse their position of power to have sexual contact with 16 and 17-year-olds in their care.”