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IICSA published its final Report in October 2022. This website was last updated in January 2023.

IICSA Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual exploitation by organised networks

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Scope of investigation

An inquiry into institutional responses to the sexual exploitation of children by organised networks.

1. The Inquiry will investigate the nature and extent of, and institutional responses to, sexual exploitation of children by organised networks incorporating case­specific investigations alongside a review of information available from published and unpublished reports and reviews, court cases, and previous investigations. In doing so, the Inquiry will consider the experiences of victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation by organised networks.

2. The Inquiry will examine the extent to which:

2.1. children who were subjected to child sexual exploitation were known to local authorities and other public authorities such as law enforcement agencies, schools and/or the NHS;

2.2. the relevant public authorities, acting alone or working together, effectively identified the risk of child sexual exploitation in communities and took action to prevent it;

2.3. the response of the constituent parts of the criminal justice system was appropriate in cases of child sexual exploitation;

2.4. recommendations in previous reports and reviews have been implemented effectively in the wide range of relevant public authorities at national and local levels;

2.5. effective strategies have now been implemented to prevent child sexual exploitation in the future, and to monitor the safety of vulnerable children including missing children;

2.6. the applicable statutory and regulatory framework relevant to child sexual exploitation is effective in protecting children from sexual exploitation, including in respect of (i) taxi and other relevant licensing regimes; and (ii) other forms of non­criminal intervention such as the civil prevention order regime under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

3. In light of the investigations set out above, the Inquiry will publish a report setting out its findings, lessons learned and recommendations to improve child protection and safeguarding in England and Wales.

Child Sexual Exploitation by Organised Networks - Definition of Scope

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