Abused children face 'postcode lottery' in police care

Victims of underage sexual abuse face a "postcode lottery" in the support and care they receive from police, a group of MPs and peers have said.

Police are more likely to cross paths with sexually abused youngsters when they are caught committing a crime, and officers can overlook their victim status, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC) found.

There was a breakdown of trust between the police and young people, and most youngsters "profoundly distrust" their local force, the APPGC said.

Read: Police refer 14 staff to IPCC over Rotherham abuse scandal

The APPGC put numerous accusations to the police in the 49 page report, which was the culmination of an eighteen month investigation.

MPs and peers said children who have been trafficked or who have been victims of sexual exploitation often commit crime to survive, such as stealing food or money when fleeing from abusers.

Offending can often be a key indicator of sexual exploitation, the group heard.

Instead, some forces treated vulnerable youngsters as criminals and nothing more, when they really needed to be looked after.

Read: Exclusive: Teenage victim's account of sexual abuse ignored by police

Former children's minister Tim Loughton, one of the vice-chairs of APPGC, dubbed the report "a real eye opener" and exposed the problems facing officials trying to develop closer relationships between police and children.

Baroness Massey of Darwen, Labour chair of the group, said she was "concerned" by the postcode lottery and called for a "stronger foundation" for policing.

Read: Hundreds of child abusers free due to police failings

Underage victims are often kept in the dark about where sensitive and personal information given to the police will be kept, making many youngsters feel they were not respected, the report said.

The additional needs of children with special educational needs, a language or communication difficulty, or mental health needs, can be overlooked or exacerbated in encounters with the police, the report added.

The inquiry found positive examples of police forces listening to and engaging with children and young people, treating them as 'children first' in aspects of the police process.

The APPGC recommended that every police force should have a designated senior officer of Association of Chief Police Officer (Acpo) rank who is responsible for procedures and practice with children and young people.