Victims’ Commissioner for London launched presents evidence for inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

With the support of Lasting Support, Abianda, ECPAT UK, Amour Destiné and several organisations, survivors and professionals working in the UK to end CSE, Andrea Simon, the Victim’s Commissioner for London, was able to provide evidence to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee’s (PCC) inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). The work of Lasting Support and others helped ground the evidence in the expertise of frontline support services working with survivors of CSE in London.

As stated by Andrea Simon:

I made clear that too often victims are wrongly criminalised for what are better understood as survival behaviours or actions resulting from coercion, rather than being recognised and supported as victims of CSE. Statutory agencies must be equipped to identify exploitation, recognising that young people may not feel safe to disclose their experiences immediately, particularly where they have been groomed, coerced and manipulated by their exploiters. Our response must put the experiences and safety of children and young people at the centre and recognise the complex realities of exploitation to ensure victims are not further harmed by the systems meant to protect them.

Watch the full session here.