Violence against Women and Girls Crime report contents

The ‘Young Witness Initiative’ relies on a signed protocol between the CPS, police and HMCTS
to expedite cases in the courts involving a witness who is under the age of 10. In these cases
a trial date is set within 8 weeks of a plea being entered in the Crown Court.
Following Dame Elish Angiolini’s recommendation in her 2015 report – Independent Review
of Rape in London, the CPS is currently revising its guidance relating to the Provision of
Therapy to Child Witnesses in a Criminal Trial, to ensure that it is up to date and to reinforce
the message that the needs of the child are paramount when considering access to therapy,
both before and after trial.
The CPS is involved with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)-backed bid to
pilot two ‘Children’s Houses’ in London from 2017. The Children’s House model, originally
developed in Iceland, places young victims of child sexual abuse in a safe and supportive
environment and brings the services they require to them. The video-recorded interview and
cross-examination will be conducted in the Children’s House. The CPS is working with CJS
partners to explore how the model can be made more compatible with the England and
Wales criminal justice system, linking in with the s.28 initiative.
The CPS is a member of the Official’s Group for Phase 2 of the Children’s Commissioner’s
Inquiry into CSA in the Family Environment (Phase I focused on prevalence and was published
in November 2015; Phase II focuses on any proposed change in institutional practice).
The CPS has worked with the police and the senior judiciary to develop a streamlined process
for prosecuting Indecent Images of Children (IIOC). Updated prosecutor guidance was
published in July 2016. Details of IIOC are included in the report section on pornography and
obscenity.
Abuse by offender in a position of trust
A doctor admitted 25 offences, including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than
16,000 indecent images. Some of his victims had haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious
illnesses. He admitted abusing 18 boys in his care at a hospital, between 2009 and 2014. He
was sentenced to 16 years, placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject of a
sexual offences prevention order for life.
Legislation
The CPS supported the introduction of legislation to criminalise sexualized messaging between adults
and children and liaised closely with the NSPCC prior to the offence being put forward as an
amendment to the Serious Crime Bill. The offence of ‘Sexual Communications with a Child’ received
Royal Assent on 3 March 2015, but has no commencement date at publication of this report.
Refreshed guidance on Child Abuse (non-sexual) is due for publication during 2016-17 to reflect
legislative changes over 2014-16 and case law.
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