A child protection system that is not fit for purpose

SCOTLAND
Herald Scotland

Colette Douglas Home
Columnist

Charlene Downes was 14 when she disappeared 10 years ago, presumed murdered.

In her short life she might have been sexually abused by up to 100 men. The ghastliness of Charlene’s life and potential death cannot be exaggerated. She was of school age; in fact she had been expelled from school. Over the years did her behaviour ring no alarm bells about abuse with her teachers? Did a school nurse see no signs of sexual activity? What about her GP?

How could this happen in 21st-century Britain? Not only is it possible; we have a list of victims over whom we can only weep. The question is: how we can stop the growing litany of those who are abused time and time again.

Keir Starmer thinks there is a way. The former director of public prosecutions in England and Wales believes professionals who fail to report suspected child sex abuse should be prosecuted. He proposes fines or short prison sentences as punishment. On Panorama last night, he pointed out that similar mandatory reporting laws worked well in America, Canada and Australia. The Westminster Government reacted by saying no such reform was needed south of the border. Why not? Why not in Scotland?

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.