Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked: guidelines published
Updated guidance, Safeguarding Children who may have been Trafficked, was today published jointly by the Home Office and the Department for Education.
Children’s Minister, Tim Loughton, said:
Child trafficking is a horrendous crime and a very serious offence against some of the most vulnerable children. Whilst improvements have been made in recent years, we acknowledge that more can be done to protect and support vulnerable children identified as trafficked victims.
This Government is strongly committed to tackling trafficking in all its forms and published a comprehensive Human Trafficking Strategy in July. The publication of this revised guidance delivers a key commitment in the Trafficking Strategy and will help to raise awareness amongst agencies in England that are likely to encounter children and young people who may have been trafficked.
The guidance makes clear that trafficked children who are forced into sexual exploitation, coerced into committing crimes or used by adults to commit offences are treated by the police and CPS as victims of crime. Where children are found to be trafficked their safety and welfare needs must be urgently addressed. This guidance will help local agencies, including local authorities, NHS bodies and the police, to address this dreadful abuse effectively.
You can find this guidance in the publications section.
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