Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to introduce a new offence targeting individuals who cover up or fail to report child sexual abuse, as part of the government’s effort to implement mandatory reporting laws.
The change will be added to the Crime and Policing Bill this spring, following recommendations made by Professor Alexis Jay in her landmark seven-year inquiry into child sexual abuse, which concluded in 2022.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), chaired by Prof Jay, proposed 20 recommendations, including making it a legal requirement for individuals in “regulated activity or positions of trust” to report child sexual abuse under specific circumstances. These include observing recognised indicators of abuse, being informed directly by a child or perpetrator, or witnessing the abuse.
Cooper stated that failing to report abuse or attempting to cover it up could lead to professional or criminal sanctions. This marks a continuation of commitments made by the previous Conservative government, which had pledged to introduce mandatory reporting but did not clarify the consequences for failing to do so.
Chris Philp, the Conservative shadow home secretary, welcomed the proposed changes but urged the government to launch a national statutory inquiry into child sexual abuse perpetrated by grooming gangs. He argued that the IICSA inquiry had largely focused on other forms of child sexual abuse and examined only six towns implicated in the grooming gang scandal.
Philp emphasised the need for a new inquiry with powers to compel witnesses to testify under oath. Cooper did not commit to initiating another inquiry, instead emphasising the importance of implementing the recommendations from inquiries that have already concluded. She also pledged to make grooming an aggravated factor in sentencing for abuse cases and to overhaul how information and evidence on child sexual abuse are gathered.
Earlier on Monday, Prof Jay, who now chairs the Act on IICSA campaign group, urged the government to adopt a clear timeline to implement the inquiry’s recommendations. Cooper noted that Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips had met with Prof Jay last year and convened a cross-government group to drive forward change. Cooper said she would outline timescales after consulting with a new victims and survivors panel.
Former Greater Manchester police detective Maggie Oliver criticized Cooper’s announcement, describing it as “a bit of a kneejerk reaction to international horror at what has happened in our country.” Oliver resigned in 2012 over mishandling of abuse cases in Rochdale.
Starmer, speaking at a press conference, defended his record as director of public prosecutions, noting that child sexual abuse prosecutions had reached record highs during his tenure.
