Police can take up to 18 months to make an arrest after becoming aware that a child is at risk of online sexual abuse, according to a report. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that forces’ response often leaves youngsters vulnerable and allows offenders to escape justice.
It said there are often “unacceptable delays and missed opportunities” in responding to allegations and concerns about suspects, and officers have “limited tools” to understand risk. Many officers “don’t always follow lines of inquiry to find out who the suspect is and whether they are approaching children”, it added.
In most forces, cases reported directly to police are dealt with by non-specialists with inadequate training who are unaware of guidance they should follow and what specialist services they should refer children to. Very high-risk cases are often dealt with within a day but those deemed high, medium or low risk are often not responded to in the recommended timescales of a week, two weeks and 30 days.
