[Trigger warning: this article discusses topics of a sensitive nature including sexual assault and violence.]

Milly Schlezinger examines the current legal and education systems surrounding child protection and sexual abuse, urgently calling for reform to what is currently in place.

‘We wanted to do it’.

These were the heartbreaking and shocking words of my sister Francesca and her friend, fifteen year old victims of grooming by two twenty-five year old men. This is the harsh reality of cases such as these; young girls are frequently being coerced by older men who take advantage of their naivety, and often never face consequences for their actions. With 1 in 6 children having been sexually abused, according to Rape Crisis England and Wales, and with a 20% increase in sexual offences recorded by the police since 2020 (Office for National Statistics), it is clear that major change is needed. This I believe must begin with educational and legal reform.

The lack of comprehensive sex and relationship education within schools has often led to confusion in young girls over major issues including consent, and healthy relationship boundaries. Schools often warn against the dangers of online grooming and meeting up with strangers from the internet, yet fail to teach girls on how this might manifest in real life rather than over the phone. Francesca and her friend were approached by their perpetrators in a public space, which is often less frequently warned about than online incidents, making it unclear to them that they were being groomed. 

The Ofstead 2021 review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges revealed that students were rarely positive about the relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) that they received, and thought that it ‘was not equipping them with the information and advice they needed to navigate the reality of their lives’. Additionally, the fact that parents have a right to withdraw children from sex education lessons creates risks in students not receiving any education at all. The RSHE policy at Francesca’s school claims that they teach pupils how to recognise pressures around sexual behaviour and how to respond to it, although she does not recall having been given the tools to deal with this, and was not taught to recognise signs of manipulation and coercion which she sadly experienced. So much so, that Francesca believed that she might be in a relationship with this man, despite never seeing where he lived or knowing his surname. She also believed that she consented to this exploitation, and was unaware that she was not able to do this at the age of fifteen. 

As well as the difficulties in prosecuting perpetrators of sexual abuse, there are also issues within the police. Officers are not often specialised in sexual abuse investigations and lack experience and training, as explained by the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse. There is also evidence of the police being dismissive of claims of abuse, for example in the Telford abuse scandal in 2022 the police stated, ‘these girls had chosen to go with, I don’t know, ‘bad boys’’. They have also been known to blame teenagers for living ‘risky lifestyles’ involving drinks and drugs which they believe cause them to make poor decisions. These attitudes which point the blame on the victims instead of the abusers, is a reason why victims are often afraid to speak out. The incompetence of the police within Francesca’s case is also evident: they failed to provide adequate protection or advice when she stated that she might be in danger if she submitted her statement. This lack of support caused her to withdraw the statement, reinforcing the lack of care or motivation within the system to prosecute sexual abusers. 

Francesca’s case has highlighted the urgent need for change. This must firstly be tackled through an improvement to the RSHE curriculum in schools, which has often created confusion amongst girls on issues of sexual exploitation and relationships, as I have witnessed first hand. Proper training within the police is also imperative to ensure the safety of victims, and that their cases are correctly handled. The psychological effects of cases such as these is also a major consequence of sexual abuse, and I have seen how this has greatly affected my sister’s mental health. These cases must be taken more seriously. The journey towards adequate education and better protection of young girls must begin now.