Blitz Bureau
Child criminal exploitation (CCE) and “cuckooing” will be made new offences under a new law. The Crime and Policing Bill to be introduced in Parliament next week will also include measures that could see restriction orders put on people thought to be at risk of exploiting children for criminal means, according to BBC.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said exploitation like this was “sickening”, adding that legislation would ensure victims were “properly protected and prevent these often- hidden crimes from occurring in the first place”.
“It is vital we do everything in our power to eradicate it from our streets,” she said.
The previous Conservative government had announced plans to criminalise cuckooing in its Criminal Justice Bill last year, but this legislation made no further progress when Parliament was dissolved for the snap general election.
Cuckooing is when the home of a vulnerable person is taken over by criminals who use it as a base for illegal activities, such as drug dealing. The child criminal exploitation (CCE) offence in Labour’s bill is designed to target people who groom children into criminal activity, including county lines drug dealing or organised robbery, the Home Office said.
Around 14,500 children were identified as being at risk of CCE in 2023- 24, though the government says that is likely to be an underestimated figure. The cuckooing offence will carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the standalone child criminal exploitation offence will carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. The legislation will also see the introduction of CCE prevention orders, which will mean that courts can put restrictions on people who they believe pose a risk of exploiting a child for criminal purposes.
According to the Children’s Commissioner, the measures will provide “clarity that exploited children are victims”, The Independent reported. Dame Rachel de Souza said: “As children’s commissioner, I know the criminal exploitation of children is a complex type of abuse that causes harm to victims in a way that has for too long been undercounted and poorly understood.
“Many children targeted by adult criminals themselves face punishment instead of support. Like too many child victims, they are often ignored and overlooked. Their voices and experiences must be listened to, if we are to create a child-centric justice system that puts safeguarding at its heart.”
