Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a deeply harmful crime that can affect victims and their families for many years. We understand how difficult it can be to speak out, and we know that many survivors aren’t able to do so until long after the abuse has happened – sometimes years or even decades later.

When someone does come forward, we treat their case with the greatest care and seriousness. If the police think there’s enough evidence, they will refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Our specialist prosecutors will then carefully review all the details before deciding whether the case should go to court.

Cases of child sexual abuse are some of the most complex and sensitive we handle, and we’re committed to supporting victims throughout the legal process. If there is enough evidence and it is in the public interest, we will always prosecute.

Where and how abuse happens

Child sexual abuse can affect any child, regardless of their background, culture, religion, or community. It may happen in person or online and can be a one-off incident or repeated over months or years. Most children are abused by someone they know, but abuse by strangers also happens. 

Abuse can occur within family homes, but also within places and institutions such as schools, care settings, hospitals, places of worship, sports teams, and social groups or clubs. Increasingly, abuse takes place in digital spaces such as social media networks or gaming platforms.

Some cases involve networks of offenders who are connected through friendships, online forums, or criminal connections. These groups may move children between different locations (such as homes, hotels, and cars), and use things like alcohol, drugs, food, or emotional manipulation to groom and exploit them into sexual activity.

Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Why children don’t speak out

Some children are prevented from speaking out about sexual abuse through threats, control, or dependence on the abuser for care or housing. Others feel unable to tell anyone because of shame, fear, worry about not being believed, loyalty to family, or simply not understanding that what happened was wrong. Cultural pressures around honour or family reputation can also make speaking out very difficult.

Children with additional vulnerabilities may face heightened risk of sexual abuse. This includes children with disabilities, special educational needs, or language barriers, as well as those who live in care, go missing from home, have experienced previous abuse, or are socially isolated. It’s important to understand that vulnerability is never caused by anything the child has done. It is created by the behaviour of offenders and the situations they exploit.