Gangs ’sexually abuse thousands’

13 October 2011 Last updated at 12:59 ET

Many more children could be subject to gang-related exploitation in all parts of England than had previously been thought, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner says.

Current estimates suggest up to 10,000 children could be affected by gang-related sexual exploitation.

But the Office of England’s Children’s Commissioner suggests children are being abused in much larger numbers.

It is mounting a two-year inquiry into the scale and scope of the problem.

The Child Sexual Exploitation – Gangs and Groups Inquiry (CSEGG) – which will focus on the links with gangs and groups, is being led by Deputy Children’s Commissioner Sue Berelowitz.

It will attempt to lift the lid on how many children are being sexually exploited by both organised gangs and groups of people, like those coercing ng people into the sex trade.

“Right now thousands of children are being horrifically abused by gangs and in groups. Children are being failed up and down the country – in every village, town and city,” said Ms Berelowitz.

“It would also be wrong for anyone to conclude or assert that this is an issue for one particularly ethnic community.

“The emerging demographic of the children and perpetrators involved is very diverse and seem to reflect the local demographic of where the abuse is taking place.”

The Children’s Commissioner’s Office believes that gang and group-related sexual exploitation is happening not just in areas of deprivation, and among certain communities, but potentially in all parts of the country.

She added that although there was a lot of anecdotal research, there was a serious lack of reliable data.

“It is critical to have accurate data in order that government, police, local authorities, the th justice sector and health professionals can properly identify and protect child victims,” she said.

‘Grooming’

It comes after University of Bedfordshire report looking at how the sexual exploitation of children is being prevented suggested much more needed to be done.

It suggested that three-quarters of England’s local safeguarding and child protection boards were failing to implement guidance from two years ago on sexual exploitation.

It found that children were coerced into sexual activity in a number of ways including grooming, pressure from a sexually exploited peer or older boyfriend or girlfriend, or pressure from ng people in a gang-affected neighbourhood.

Children in local authority care were more than four times as likely to face sexual exploitation than those who are not.

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