Latest news with #childsexualabuse
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Warning over common games amid hidden Aussie crisis that's 'too uncomfortable to talk about'
In Australia, a staggering 79 per cent of child sexual abuse (CSA) victims know their abuser, and an estimated one in four Australians have experienced abuse themselves. It's a confronting reality — one that affects millions across the country — and yet still too often exists in silence. Experts say breaking that silence is critical to removing the shame and stigma that continues to prevent so many survivors from coming forward. Shelley is both a mother and a survivor of child sexual abuse. She understands firsthand the weight of carrying the burden and how difficult it can be to speak out. In an interview with Yahoo News Australia, she stressed that addressing the abuse means going right to the root of the problem. "I've learned that prevention isn't just about education or the occasional conversation. It's about creating a way of life where children know they are safe, heard, and believed — always," she said. "We can't control what others do, but we can control how we show up for our children. That means raising them in an environment where trust is built every day, where body autonomy is respected from the start, and where no topic is too uncomfortable to speak about." Shelley said that also includes the hard work parents and caregivers must do on themselves —acknowledging personal wounds, challenging harmful beliefs, and letting go of the idea that "it won't happen to us." In many cases, she pointed out, abuse doesn't come from strangers — it happens within families, social circles and communities. In some cases, the harm even comes from other children who have been victims themselves. Leading child protection organisation Bravehearts is calling for greater national awareness around this issue with the launch of its new campaign, "Grooming Hides Behind Harmless". The campaign shines a light on the often-subtle behaviours predators use to groom children and the adults around them, gradually building trust to lower suspicion and gain access. Bravehearts CEO Alison Geale explained that grooming can look like everyday acts of kindness and familiarity. But even something as seemingly innocent as children's games can be a vehicle for boundary-testing. She said games like hide and seek, tag, doctors and nurses, mums and dads or play fighting can, in some instances, be used as a cover to push physical boundaries under the guise of play. While those games are a normal part of childhood, she emphasised the importance of being alert to patterns, like an adult or older child frequently initiating one-on-one play in private settings, encouraging secrets, or dismissing a child's discomfort. When a child is repeatedly isolated from others under the pretext of fun or special attention, it could be a red flag. Unprecedented spike exposes heartbreaking trend among young Aussies Sad trend among Aussie kids each day from 4pm Public service child abuse reports spike after inquiry "It's important to understand that grooming takes time and involves the grooming of not only the child but also those adults around the child," Alison said. "Gaining the trust of parents or even organisations is a critical component of gaining access to the child. "The grooming process can take time, sometimes years, as the offender builds trust. When treating a single behaviour in isolation, protective adults can view that as harmless, joining the dots can be tricky." The campaign urges all adults — parents, carers, teachers, coaches, neighbours — to recognise that awareness is a vital tool in prevention. By learning to spot manipulative behaviour early, people are better equipped to protect their kids. "Learn as much as you can about the signs," Alison said. "Child sex offenders are cunning and manipulative, often gaslighting parents, caregivers and other adults, leading them to believe that any suspicions they have are unfounded." Despite the 2017 Royal Commission recommendations, significant action is still lacking, particularly around unified national measures, Alison warned. She said there's still an ongoing need for stronger collaboration between state and federal governments on key issues like reporting, education, sentencing, and implementing a national Working with Children Check. While the National Strategy is making progress, crucial areas of prevention and treatment still require urgent attention. "A quarter of Australians have experienced child sexual abuse, and this is a conservative statistic," she said. "Parents and caregivers need to recognise this alarming fact, become knowledgeable about the facts and feel confident to be vigilant about the adults their children spend unsupervised time with." If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, call triple zero without delay and report to police. For guidance or support, you can contact Bravehearts' toll-free National Information and Support Line on 1800 272 831 (available Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm AEST). For further information, including how to report concerns in your state, visit Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- The Guardian
West Mercia police accused of ‘shaming' alleged victim of child sexual abuse
A police force that admits negligently breaching the anonymity of an alleged victim of child sexual abuse has been accused of 'victim shaming' after citing her subsequent public campaigning as reason for reduced compensation. The identity of Heidi Clutterbuck, 53, was revealed in error to a witness by a West Mercia police detective in 2015 as the officer carried out an investigation into her claims of being abused by her late brother. After years of legal wrangling at a cost to Clutterbuck of £193,000, the force formally admitted liability in court documents filed earlier this month, but police lawyers are arguing her decision to then go public about her experiences diminishes her claim for damages. West Mercia police cite in support of their defence Clutterbuck's decision to give evidence at the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse established by Theresa May and to speak to media, including to the BBC. The force claims: 'In or about July 2017, the claimant participated in a victim and survivor seminar held as part of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA), in the course of which the claimant disclosed her status as a survivor of child sexual abuse and shared her experiences of reporting the offence to the police. 'The claimant's comments/account appear alongside her name in transcripts of the seminars on the IICSA website; the claimant has also shared her experiences and commentary on the issue on Twitter (since 2016), via a Facebook blog, on a BBC programme etc. 'The claimant's decision to share her experiences (not long after the disclosure which is the subject of this claim, in much greater detail than in the disclosure and with the world at large rather than a single family member), while entirely within her rights and representing a valuable contribution to the public discourse, is nonetheless a highly material event which overtakes and supersedes the defendant's breach of duty.' Clutterbuck, a mother of five who lives in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, said she had been horrified to discover the officer's error in revealing her identity after receiving a message on Facebook late at night, but that she would not have gone on to make the legal claim if an immediate apology had been offered. She said: 'I was so scared, and I was so scared [for] my young children, and it just was awful. It was a Saturday night, so there's nothing I could do. Spent the whole night up crying. I was at the police station at first light … They were just really dismissive, and it just that's when everything changed. I became the enemy of them. Well, you know, that's my perception of it. 'I spent three and a half years going through the complaint system, being told at every step of the way, this is not a breach, this is not a breach, this is not a breach.' Clutterbuck got legal representation in 2018 and her claim was made in 2021 but the formal admission of liability by West Mercia police was only recently made in an amended defence filed at court. She said her decision to speak about her abuse after the officer had revealed her identity was made in an attempt to get control of her situation. She said: 'To my mind, the only solution to that type of thing happening is to actually take control and say, I give up anonymity, and I am going to speak on this topic, and I am going to not have the shame that you give me. Still in the papers that have gone to the high court, they criticise me and use it as a way of downgrading their damage. 'This is why victims don't challenge the police, because they have the public purse. It is appalling that they're using public money to fight these cases where actually: you've admitted liability.' Clutterbuck added: 'Nobody else really has the right to know I'm a victim of sexual abuse unless I choose to tell them. And the very notion that the people that you trust and that actually are protecting you are the ones that breach that trust and place you in that position is appalling.' Maria Mulla, a barrister who is working with victims of the late owner of Harrods Mohamed Al Fayed, is representing Clutterbuck. She said: 'The decision to disclose or not is a colossal one for survivors of sexual abuse and in particular child sexual abuse. 'West Mercia police stole Heidi's lifetime right to absolute anonymity, a right that is enshrined in legislation. Once this had been stolen from her Heidi had no choice but to be brave and take back control by advocating for others.' West Mercia police declined a request for comment.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- The Sun
Terrifying rise of sick AI child abuse pics keeps me awake at night – Brits should be s**t scared, says MP Jess Phillips
SAFEGUARDING Minister Jess Phillips says it's time to 'scare the s**t' out of Brits on child sexual abuse. She promised to get tough on tech companies if they fail to shut down sick content — both real and AI-generated fakes. The Sun on Sunday joined her on a visit to Heathrow where Border Force is trying to catch paedophiles travelling into the country. 'It keeps me awake at night,' she said. 'That's how worried I am about the growing availability and access that people have to child sexual abuse material, both real and synthetic — so AI deepfakes.' In a fresh barb at tech boss and X owner Elon Musk, she said concerns about privacy online were 'for the birds' — as everyone has handed it over online already. The US billionaire has previously rowed with Mrs Phillips over grooming gangs. And she has told how she has been a victim of 'deepfake' pornographic images herself. Now, under a pilot scheme at Heathrow called Operation Excalibur, officials are using intelligence to target travellers suspected of having child abuse images. This includes profiling people and working with international police forces. One way to check for the images is by searching electronic devices for photos already known to law enforcement that have been 'hashed' — which means they have been given an invisible electronic 'watermark'. Illegal content Border Force does this by connecting a cable to the suspect's phone or laptop and scanning it at Customs. Tech Secretary left 'shocked to the core' after visiting crack team hunting down child abuse images New laws will soon give officers powers to make suspects unlock their devices to be scanned. Trials have taken place at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham airports since July 2024 — and 65 per cent of scans revealed evidence of child sex abuse images. It comes after charity the Internet Watch Foundation found online child sexual abuse, or links to it, a record-breaking 291,273 times last year — an 830 per cent increase since the charity began this work in 2014. Mrs Phillips added: 'I don't think we've scared the s**t out of people about this enough in the country. 'We need to do quite a lot of work to take the public on a journey with us. If people realised some of the stuff their kids could access they would be horrified.' Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery has risen by 380 per cent in just one year. But now Britain is set to become the first country in the world with specific AI sex abuse offences. And the new Online Safety Act, compels firms to show they are committed to removing illegal content from their platforms. Companies failing to act face fines of up to £18million or ten per cent of their qualifying worldwide revenue. But Mrs Phillips said Labour will go further if tech companies fail to rid their apps of child sexual abuse. Charities are calling for more to be done to stop material being shared in private communications such as messaging app Telegram, which can be harder for police to access. Mrs Phillips said: 'When I talk to law enforcement, they will tell me very honestly about some of the limitations of what they can and can't look at, and how they work with tech companies to get access to that. "If the Online Safety Act isn't enough and we still find that we have fears that people are sharing child abuse — this is not some kink, this is abusing children here and around the world — then we will absolutely go further.' 3 She said it was also the tech firms' responsibility to build safety into their designs, adding: 'There needs to be a much greater push for the market to provide safety. 'At the moment that's absolutely not the case. That's because I don't think there's a great enough demand from the public for that. 'It has to be safety by design. Things get created faster than legislation can ever be passed. You need culture and policy.' She warned that 'nudification' apps — which use AI to create fake naked images of a victim — keep being created. Mrs Phillips added: 'The amount of effort companies put into algorithms — if they put the same amount of effort into keeping us safe, we'd be safe. 'What I want is for parents and the public to be much more demanding about safety, like you would be about a car. 'You wouldn't put your kids in a car without a seatbelt. I want parent power.' She said the public were much more in favour of keeping kids safe than concerns over privacy. 'The idea that we have any privacy left is literally for the birds,' the minister added. 'Elon Musk literally knows when I have my period. I cannot believe that the argument about privacy persists when every single person in this room has definitely given it away to somebody who was not democratically elected.' Mrs Phillips also told of how she herself fell victim to fake pornographic images online, and added: 'It has been for too long a laissez-faire attitude to the idea of images as harm. And when you have had fake images made of you, which I have had, the idea that you don't know who has seen it, you don't know if you're in the company of somebody who is using it, is terrifying for people to live with.' Mrs Phillips was first alerted to the images by a journalist, but members of the public have also contacted her about deepfake images on porn sites. She added: 'I've not seen any of these deepfakes, I am not looking in the places where they might be. 'I had no idea they existed. But the thing about it is you don't know who has seen it. You walk into a room and you think of people seeing these images of me. 'People think it's a victimless crime, but I've got teenage sons, the idea there is images of me on porn sites their friends might see — that is horrendous. 'It is everyone's responsibility to tackle these heinous crimes and safeguard children from all forms of sexual abuse.' She also described her horror at how young many of the perpetrators of child sexual abuse are. Mrs Phillips said: 'The statistic that keeps me awake at night, and this is largely because I am the mother of teenage boys, is that in 53 per cent of the reported child sexual abuse incidences last year, the average age of a perpetrator was 14. 'That is a terrifying finding, that our abusers are trending young.' BEAST CAGED A BRITISH music teacher who plotted to abuse Filipina girls as young as four was caught at the UK border as he returned from the Far East. James Alexander was arrested at Manchester Airport on June 30, 2018 after arriving from Thailand, where he had lived from 2017. National Crime Agency officials seized his electronic devices and found he had sent money transfers to the facilitators of abuse, and used Skype and WhatsApp to try to arrange a trip to the Philippines to abuse girls. Leeds Crown Court heard he asked for images of girls aged nine and six 'posing in a certain way', asked what the youngest 'would do with him' and said he wanted sexual relations with a four-year-old. Alexander, of Beeston, Leeds, admitted arranging the commission of a child sex offence, three counts of attempting to cause a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one of making indecent images of a child. He was jailed for five years in 2019, given a five-year sexual harm prevention order banning foreign travel and was made to sign the sex offenders register for life.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Child sexual abuse support services face closure or cuts in funding shortfall'
Many support services for survivors of child sexual abuse are 'on the verge of breaking point', according to experts working in the sector. The centre of expertise on child sexual abuse (CSA Centre) said a research survey of providers had found more than three-quarters facing uncertainty about future funding and a fifth considering closure or cuts to their services. The centre warned that, despite a recommendation from the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) almost three years ago that specialist therapeutic support should be guaranteed for child victims of sexual abuse, 'thousands' have been left waiting months or years to access support. The CSA Centre said its findings were based on 124 support services in England and Wales responding to its survey. The centre said 23 support services closed in the 18 months since their last national survey in 2023, leaving 363 such services across the whole of England and Wales. The organisation estimated that this equates to each remaining service having an average of 16,500 victims and survivors to support. The survey results found more than three-quarters of respondents said they were facing uncertainty about future funding for their services, with some indicating there was less money available and others citing the short-term and insecure nature of funding. One in five respondents said they were facing full or partial closure or could have to cut support without 'sufficient' funding being confirmed within the next few months. Centre director Ian Dean said: 'This report starkly illustrates the huge shortfall in support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, with many services reporting that they are now on the verge of breaking point.' He said the current situation is that 'thousands of children and adults are still left waiting months or even years to access support, with services struggling to meet rising demand on increasingly overstretched budgets'. He described as 'essential that the Government honours its commitment to victims and survivors of abuse by ensuring the consistent, widespread funding of support services that is so desperately needed across the country'. Fay Maxted, from The Survivors Trust, said the research 'powerfully sets out the impact that the current funding crisis is having on specialist services and the challenges victims and survivors are facing in accessing the support and help they need and are entitled to'. The CSA Centre is mainly funded by the Home Office and hosted by Barnardo's. The charity's chief executive Lynn Perry said the research 'shines a light on the concerning reduction in support available for children who have been sexually abused' and said the Chancellor must make a commitment to investment in her spending review next month. Ms Perry said: 'The need for specialist services has never been greater, yet funding for these very services continues to decline. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse rightly called for a guarantee of specialist therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse. 'We urge the government to use the upcoming spending review to invest in these vital services and to seize this opportunity to make sure no child misses out on the support they need to work towards a positive future.'
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Children and teens make up third of alleged child sexual abuse perpetrators, study finds
Almost a third of alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse were teenagers or children themselves, according to a landmark study of almost 450 survivors over five years. The findings have prompted researchers to call for improved education about consent for young people, linking these behaviours to early access to the internet and exposure to pornography. The study, published in the international paediatric journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, analysed 448 cases from 2018 to 2022 of children who attended Children's Health Ireland (CHI) Tallaght's forensic medical examination centre, Laurel's clinic. This clinic is CHI's paediatric medical service available to children and young people when a concern or disclosure of child sexual abuse or sexual assault has been raised in relation to them. It is one of three in the State. READ MORE The vast majority of the 448 patients (79 per cent) were woman, while more than a third (37.5 per cent) were aged five to 11 years old. There were also seven babies under the age of one. Vaginal penetration occurred in 46 per cent of cases, with digital penetration being the most common method. Anal penetration was reported in 26 per cent of cases. The researchers said a 'key finding' is the low rate of physical findings in child sexual abuse, such as genital injury. The abuse was most often perpetrated in the child's home (35 per cent) or in the other parent's home (18.6 per cent). A total of 58 patients were assaulted outdoors. Nearly half of patients showed behavioural changes, with sexualised behaviour identified in 17 per cent of the patients. The study noted that behavioural changes, when unexplained, may be one of the few early signs of abuse. [ Over 2,200 families of children who received hip surgeries over 15 year period written to by CHI and Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital Opens in new window ] Sexualised behaviour was more commonly reported in younger children, with 24 per cent of those displaying such behaviours aged under five, compared with six per cent of who were over 12. About 18 per cent of patients had developmental concerns. Alleged perpetrators were mainly male (90.1 per cent), while more than a fifth were teenagers and 12.8 per cent were under 13. More than half of the cases involved repeated abuse. Some two-thirds of the patients referred had made a disclosure. Disclosure rates were higher with older ages: 88 per cent of children aged 11–18 years disclosed the abuse to someone, compared with 56 per cent of children under five. Dr Sinéad Harty, consultant paediatrician at CHI and co-author of the study, said the research paints a 'stark but necessary picture'. She said: 'One of the most concerning findings is the significant proportion of perpetrators who were themselves children or adolescents, which underlines the urgent need for improved education around consent, relationships and digital safety. 'As children gain earlier access to smartphones and online content, the risk landscape changes – and our public health and education responses must keep pace.' The study revealed that nearly a third of children seen at the Laurel's Clinic lived in blended family settings, with this proportion increasing from 19.7 per cent in 2018 to 35.3 per cent in 2022. There was a family history of child sexual abuse in 18 per cent of cases, while 18 per cent of patients were autistic or had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. According to Dr Harty, the research highlights the need for clinicians, social workers, educators and policymakers to be aware that many children, particularly those with unexplained behavioural changes may be living with undisclosed trauma. 'We must remain vigilant, open, and child-centred in our care,' she added.
