All existing child sex abuse policy to be scrapped

Plans for an overhaul of the way the criminal justice system approaches child sex abuse will be set out later today.

The CPS and ACPO have agreed:

• All existing policy will be decommissioned, with one overarching and agreed approach to investigation and prosecution of sexual offences to be applicable in all police forces, agreed by the CPS
• The CPS will draft new guidance to ensure consistent best practice, open to public consultation

• Training will be hands on and provide practical advice to police and prosecutors about when a complainant can and should be told about other complaints, among other things

• They will propose the formation of a national "scoping panel", which will review complaints made in the past which were not pursued by police and prosecutors, if requested