Violence against Women and Girls Crime report contents

National Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel
The National Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel 129 is a joint Police and CPS initiative set up in June
2013. The investigation and prosecution of CSA has changed significantly in the last decade. It is
recognised in the National CSA Review Panel Guidelines that the police and justice system may take a
different approach now, compared to how the allegation of abuse might initially have been treated.
In these circumstances, the panel considers whether an allegation should be reinvestigated by the
police, or whether the prosecution decision should be reviewed by the CPS, who will provide advice
to the relevant Police force or CPS area.
Between the inception of the National Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel in June 2013 and the 31st
March 2014, the panel secretariat received 70 referrals.
Between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015, a further 22 referrals were received. Between 1 April 2015
and 31 March 2016, a further 58 referrals were received.
Child Sexual Abuse Network
A network of child sexual abuse specialists, established in each of the CPS Areas in 2013, serves as a
source of expertise, guidance and good practice for colleagues dealing with child sexual abuse cases,
both locally and nationally. The network discussed issues and shared best practice. Membership of
the network will be refreshed during 2016.
Grooming
Three men were convicted of sexual offences against five teenagers aged between 14 and 17
years at a takeaway and a nearby hotel.
The victims were sexually harassed and groomed by all three men at the take-away. They
were taken to the nearby hotel where they were plied with alcohol, cannabis, cigarettes and
money before being sexually abused. The men pretended to be professional photographers
and promised the girls that they would make them models if they posed for indecent
photographs. They then subjected them to serious and prolonged sexual assaults whilst
photographing and filming them. They were jailed for a total of over 23 years.
Rape and Child Sexual Abuse Advocate Panel
All child sexual abuse cases are now handled by specialist teams in the RASSO units. Only specialist inhouse
advocates or counsel who have been selected to join the Rape and Child Sexual Abuse Panel,
are instructed to appear in court on behalf of the CPS in these cases.
129 The Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel looks again at cases where a person is concerned that they have made
previous allegations of being a victim of a sexual offence when they were under the age of 18, and the police or
CPS decided that no action should be taken at the time, but the person is not satisfied that the original
allegations were dealt with appropriately.
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