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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Yvette Cooper says she will force professionals to report child sexual abuse claims | Yvette Cooper says she will force professionals to report child sexual abuse claims |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Home secretary announces plans to implement key demand from Jay inquiry in England | Home secretary announces plans to implement key demand from Jay inquiry in England |
| Professionals who work with children will face criminal sanctions if they fail to report claims of child sexual abuse under a law to be introduced this year, Yvette Cooper has told MPs. | Professionals who work with children will face criminal sanctions if they fail to report claims of child sexual abuse under a law to be introduced this year, Yvette Cooper has told MPs. |
| The home secretary has promised to implement a key demand from Prof Alexis Jay’s child sexual abuse inquiry after Keir Starmer turned down demands from Elon Musk and Kemi Badenoch for a new investigation into paedophile gangs. | The home secretary has promised to implement a key demand from Prof Alexis Jay’s child sexual abuse inquiry after Keir Starmer turned down demands from Elon Musk and Kemi Badenoch for a new investigation into paedophile gangs. |
| The introduction of mandatory reporting in England would be included in the crime and policing bill expected to be introduced to parliament in the spring, Cooper told parliament. | The introduction of mandatory reporting in England would be included in the crime and policing bill expected to be introduced to parliament in the spring, Cooper told parliament. |
| “We will make it mandatory to report abuse, and we will put the measures in the crime and policing bill that will be put before parliament this spring, making it an offence, with professional and criminal sanctions, to fail to report or cover up child sexual abuse,” she said. | “We will make it mandatory to report abuse, and we will put the measures in the crime and policing bill that will be put before parliament this spring, making it an offence, with professional and criminal sanctions, to fail to report or cover up child sexual abuse,” she said. |
| In a sharp attack upon the previous government’s record, she added: “This measure is something I first called for in response to the reports and failings in Rotherham 10 years ago. It’s something that the prime minister first called for 12 years ago, based on his experience as director of public prosecutions, and the case was clear then. But we’ve lost a decade, and we need to get on with it now.” | In a sharp attack upon the previous government’s record, she added: “This measure is something I first called for in response to the reports and failings in Rotherham 10 years ago. It’s something that the prime minister first called for 12 years ago, based on his experience as director of public prosecutions, and the case was clear then. But we’ve lost a decade, and we need to get on with it now.” |
| She also disclosed that the government planned to: | |
| Introduce a victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms. | Introduce a victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms. |
| Introduce a victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms. | Introduce a victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms. |
| Make grooming an aggravating factor in child sexual offences. | Make grooming an aggravating factor in child sexual offences. |
| Make grooming an aggravating factor in child sexual offences. | Make grooming an aggravating factor in child sexual offences. |
| Establish a core dataset for child abuse and protection. | Establish a core dataset for child abuse and protection. |
| Establish a core dataset for child abuse and protection. | Establish a core dataset for child abuse and protection. |
| Similar plans for a mandatory reporting obligation on professionals were supposed to be introduced last year as part of Rishi Sunak’s criminal justice bill, but campaigners and lawyers heavily criticised them for being “watered down”. | Similar plans for a mandatory reporting obligation on professionals were supposed to be introduced last year as part of Rishi Sunak’s criminal justice bill, but campaigners and lawyers heavily criticised them for being “watered down”. |
| A recommendation of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, headed by Jay, called for a new criminal offence for professionals in a position of trust – including teachers, doctors, priests and social workers – who fail to report child sexual abuse. | A recommendation of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, headed by Jay, called for a new criminal offence for professionals in a position of trust – including teachers, doctors, priests and social workers – who fail to report child sexual abuse. |
| The demand came after the inquiry heard evidence that some failed to act upon young people’s claims of abuse or investigate further their colleagues’ suspicions. | The demand came after the inquiry heard evidence that some failed to act upon young people’s claims of abuse or investigate further their colleagues’ suspicions. |
| But the proposed legislation under the Tories meant there would have been no criminal sanction for failure to fulfil the duty, and would have only applied to “persons in the service of the crown” such as diplomats and members of the armed forces, but not doctors, teachers or social workers. | But the proposed legislation under the Tories meant there would have been no criminal sanction for failure to fulfil the duty, and would have only applied to “persons in the service of the crown” such as diplomats and members of the armed forces, but not doctors, teachers or social workers. |
| Campaigners also criticised the criminal justice bill for watering down the reporting of abuse by requiring it only if there was “hard evidence” – seeing the abuse, photos of it, or actual disclosure – rather than suspicions or indicators of abuse. | Campaigners also criticised the criminal justice bill for watering down the reporting of abuse by requiring it only if there was “hard evidence” – seeing the abuse, photos of it, or actual disclosure – rather than suspicions or indicators of abuse. |
| The bill was ditched before it became law, which means that at present there is no legal duty for professionals to report suspicions or claims of child sexual abuse. | The bill was ditched before it became law, which means that at present there is no legal duty for professionals to report suspicions or claims of child sexual abuse. |
| By contrast, there is mandatory reporting for suspicions of money laundering. | By contrast, there is mandatory reporting for suspicions of money laundering. |
| Over the past week, Musk, the tech billionaire and close ally of Donald Trump, has attacked Starmer over grooming gangs, using his platform on his social media site X to accuse the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, of being a “rape genocide apologist” and calling for her and Starmer to be jailed. | Over the past week, Musk, the tech billionaire and close ally of Donald Trump, has attacked Starmer over grooming gangs, using his platform on his social media site X to accuse the safeguarding minister, Jess Phillips, of being a “rape genocide apologist” and calling for her and Starmer to be jailed. |
| Starmer said on Monday morning that he brought the first prosecution of an “Asian grooming gang” in Rochdale and called for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. | Starmer said on Monday morning that he brought the first prosecution of an “Asian grooming gang” in Rochdale and called for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. |
| “When I left office, we had the highest number of child sexual abuse cases being prosecuted on record,” he said. | “When I left office, we had the highest number of child sexual abuse cases being prosecuted on record,” he said. |
| Jonathan West, the director of the sexual abuse pressure group Mandate Now, which has been campaigning for compulsory reporting for 20 years, welcomed Cooper’s announcement. | Jonathan West, the director of the sexual abuse pressure group Mandate Now, which has been campaigning for compulsory reporting for 20 years, welcomed Cooper’s announcement. |
| “We are particularly pleased to see that criminal sanctions have been mentioned, as this is a vital component of an effective safeguarding regime. The precise details of the government’s proposals are very important and we will examine them carefully when they are available. The previous government’s draft provisions would have been completely ineffective, in part because they included no sanction for failing to report abuse.” | “We are particularly pleased to see that criminal sanctions have been mentioned, as this is a vital component of an effective safeguarding regime. The precise details of the government’s proposals are very important and we will examine them carefully when they are available. The previous government’s draft provisions would have been completely ineffective, in part because they included no sanction for failing to report abuse.” |