Fleur Anderson Welcomes Child Abuse Announcement

Historic and ongoing cases to be investigated at the local level

Fleur Anderson MP

January 17, 2025

Putney’s MP has welcomed the announcement from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in which she gave a comprehensive update on investigating historic and ongoing child abuse cases

The new measures include increased police investigations, stronger sentencing for offenders, and the creation of an independent review panel to reassess cases that were previously dismissed or ignored.

In her statement, the Home Secretary highlighted a series of key initiatives, including the establishment of a cross-government ministerial group, the provision of £2 million in additional funding, and a rapid audit to assess the full scale of gang-based exploitation across the country.

The Government will also be extending the remit of the independent Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel to ensure that victims of abuse, both historic and current, can seek justice through independent reviews without being forced to return to the same institutions that did not investigate their case in the past.

Yvette Cooper also stressed the importance of tackling offenders who use technology to groom and exploit children, with the Government introducing new tools and capabilities to monitor online spaces. The Home Secretary indicated that the expansion of the Undercover Online Network and the development of AI tools to infiltrate livestreams and chat rooms is a critical part of this work.

Fleur Anderson MP said, “It is important to remember that behind every story and statistic concerning child abuse, there is a young person, their family and their community, all of whom are left utterly shattered by abuse. The measures announced by the Home Secretary yesterday are about supporting victims, families and communities, and ensuring our systems do not fail to protect our children.

“The safety of children, both in our community and online, is a key focus of mine and I liaise regularly with the Borough Commander, local schools and children's services to ensure children's safety is prioritised. I believe that the Government’s focus on local inquiries is crucial. We’ve seen how effective local investigations can be in delivering tangible change and justice for victims. I’m particularly encouraged by the success of the Telford Inquiry, which has led to positive changes like the introduction of CCTV in taxis and the appointment of child sexual exploitation experts in secondary schools. Local inquiries are often able to delve into far more specific issues and provide the most relevant answers to questions, building workable and long term solutions for local communities.

“This is a complex and evolving issue. The growth of online exploitation is a growing concern, and the Government’s commitment to strengthening its efforts in this area is vital to protect children from harm. I fully support the expansion of online policing and the use of advanced technology to detect and prevent abuse."

The announcement also includes a series of new measures aimed at improving police performance. The Government says it will be working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure that every case of child sexual exploitation and gang grooming is thoroughly investigated.