Barnardo's Cymru: '50% of sexually exploited children referred were traffick victims'

Half of the children who had been sexually exploited and referred to the charity Barnardo's in Wales in September were victims of trafficking.

The director of Barnardo's Cymru is calling on police commissioners across Wales to tackle domestic trafficking of children for sexual exploitation by ensuring that the police fulfil their responsibilities to protect and support this vulnerable group.

While the national charity is urging the authorities and government to redouble their efforts to do more to protect young people from being internally trafficked for sex.

10 of the 20 children that were referred to the Welsh branch of the charity had to be moved to safety.

Barnardo's says that the number of sexually exploited children known to the charity rose by 22 per cent to 1,452 in the UK last year.

Yvonne Rodgers, the director of Barnardo's Cymru, said, 'In Wales over the past year, closer partnership working with the police and local authorities has seen a rise in identifying the risk and the incidence of children being sexually abused.'

'This has resulted in more exploited young people being referred to our Seraf service and more protection for victims and other children from being trafficked for sex.'

'We need to continue this pattern and see the police authorities in Wales using their full range of law enforcement and disruption tactics to arrest and deter the abusers and protect children from this horrific abuse. This problem has remained hidden for too long.'