Child abuse investigation update

Report: 7
Date: 16 January 2007
By: AC Specialist Crime on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an update around the work of the Child Abuse Investigation Command (CAIC) highlighting issues arising in respect of Project Violet, Project Indigo, Operation Safetynet, Operation Paladin and highlighting changes for London Child Protection Committee (LCPC). It also details new work with the Child Exploitation and Online Project (CEOP) and outlines some key challenges faced through the implementation of 'Every Child Matters'.

A. Recommendation

That Members to note the attached report

B. Supporting information

Summary of CAIC Performance

1. Between April-November 2006, there has been a decrease of 9% in the number of recorded crimes of child abuse within the Metropolitan Police District over the same period in 2005-6, being from 4,251 to 3,792 crimes. During the same period, there has been an increase in the number of children referred to the CAIC as having come to the notice of Police or partner agencies. These referrals are measured by the number of Merlin reports created, being 77,000 year to date compared to 75,000 during 2005-06, and 63,262 during 2004-05. These figures indicate an increase in the number of children who may be suffering neglect or abuse.

2. Having identified this anomaly, research and detailed dip sampling of 100 Merlin reports was conducted in November and December 2006 in order to better understand the reduction in recorded crime against an increase in referrals from partner agencies. It has been clarified that whilst appropriate investigation and recording of actions and intelligence has been completed, there has been some degree of non-compliance with the National Crime Recording Standards (NCRS). This has been reported to the Force Crime Registrar and entered onto the MPS Every Child Matters Risk Register. Remedial work has been actioned and all Merlin reports identified within the Dip Sample, which should have been recorded as a Crime, have now been recorded as such on the CRIS system. A detailed training programme in NCRS and compliance with recording system thresholds for all CAIT Supervisors is being devised, for delivery in January and February 2007. Enhanced supervision of actions stemming from referrals to CAIT teams is now in place with personal oversight of standards from the Detective Superintendent responsible for East/South London CAITs.

3. The number of individuals charged or cautioned by CAIC continues to rise with a Sanctioned Detection rate of 22% at 11.12.06, being an increase from 17% for the same period 2005-6 and 12% for 2004-5.

4. The key challenge for CAIC is to improve the investigation standards of child rape allegations, which have increased by 3% over last year’s reported figures, being an additional eight offences. Detections are currently at 38% year to date, compared to 17% 2005-06 and 13% 2004-05. The CAIC Rape Improvement Group has been established, bringing together staff from CAIC, Sapphire and Forensic Services, to ensure all potential avenues of investigation are maximised; that more offenders are brought to justice; improved sharing of good practice, intelligence and analysis between CAIC and Territorial Policing’s rape investigation lead, Project Sapphire; joint training and improved working relationships with the Crown Prosecution Service; improved quality and timeliness of prosecution advice and charging decisions.

5. In conjunction with the Forensic Science Services, the CAIC is exploring the developing of a forensic cold case review approach to child rape, on a similar footing to work being undertaken by Project Sapphire, and we are liasing with the Home Office to ensure best practice is adopted.

6. CAIC have recently achieved a National first in securing a conviction through the use of NG-MAST forensic evidence in the investigation of the rape of a child. The process identified a particular strain of sexually transmitted disease with which the child had been infected and linked it to that found on clothing belonging to the suspect. This resulted in the suspect pleading guilty at court, which helped to reduce the further impact on the victim which giving evidence at court might have had. The CAIC are now in the process of sharing this success, both across the MPA and with the National Crime Faculty.

7. CAIC current performance is published monthly on our intranet site and is also a standing agenda item in our monthly Senior Management Team (SMT) meetings, is cascaded to all staff at their monthly team meetings, published on the intranet and hard copies of the data are provided on notice boards. We have four key Objectives, each of which is currently on target to be reached or exceeded. Current performance year to date:

• Objective 1: Overall Sanctioned Detection Rate
  • Target 20%
  • Performance to date is 22%
  • 2005-6 17%
  • 2004-5 12%
• Objective 2: Rape Sanctioned Detection Rate
  • Target 35%
  • Performance to date 38%
  • 2005-6 17%
  • 2004-5 13%
• Objective 3: Detection Rate for Intra-Familial Child Homicide
  • Target 85%
  • Performance to date 133%
  • 2005-6 120%
  • 2004-5 67%
• Objective 4: Sanction Detections in relation to Operation Safetynet and proactive Operations against predatory paedophiles
  • Target: 120 detections (new target 2006-7)
  • Performance to date: 78

Project Indigo

8. This work is now in its second year in relation to the investigation by CAIC of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infants (SUDI). Having assumed responsibility for these investigations from Territorial Policing in 2005, SCD5 is gaining international recognition as a centre of excellence, being called upon to share working practices and analytical findings on a worldwide basis. From 1 April 2006 to date, 96 SUDI have been investigated.

9. Joint working is being progressed though Project Indigo to develop a ‘shaken baby’ prevention campaign.

10. Through the systems developed for data collection, CAIC have produced the first full year’s analysis of SUDI in London. This has never been produced before and is being shared with the Local Children’s Safeguarding Boards to promote learning from the most common aggravating factors, which have been identified. These include smokers in the home, co-sleeping with the child, the child sleeping other than in a cot, pre-existing medical conditions and premature birth. However, it should be noted that the data set is currently too small to form any statistically valid statements on ethnicity or demographic trends of those affected by SUDI.

11. Data and analysis continues to be collated to ensure that future analysis is better able to shape preventative work. Leaflets have been produced in ten languages to explain the work of Project Indigo and these are given to parents of those children who have died to instil confidence in the investigation process and give guidance and advice regarding support services available to them.

12. Child death review team development work continues, engaging with various partners both externally and within the MPS. A strategic proposal for joint work across London has been produced and this will continue to progress over the coming months. This aims to stimulate debate towards developing a consensus of working practices and policies across the 32 London Boroughs. This is a result of the Children’s Act 2004 and the ‘Working Together’ document, which was published in 2006 and includes the need for Child Death Review Teams to be in place by April 2008. The support of the London Child Protection Committee (LCPC) will be necessary to ensure a consistent approach.

Project Violet

13. Project Violet was initiated in early 2005 as a response to public and community concern about ritualistic and belief-related child abuse. Prevention work has focused a small number of Congolese Churches and their belief in Kindoke, resulting in a number of initiatives that were reported to the MPA Diversity Committee on 6 June 2006.

14. One element of this work was a joint publication during the summer of 2006, by Project Violet and the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) – 'Safe and Secure'. This provides practical guidance to all those engaged with Churches about what is child abuse, how to safeguard children, where to gain advice and support and what action to take.

15. In April 2006 Project Violet Phase 2 was launched with the aim of developing the Violet strategy, from specifically focusing on Black Christian communities, towards a broader focus on cultural or belief-related child-rearing practices which may be abusive to children, undertaken within any community. This broadened sphere of activity includes the following initiatives:

• The Community Partnership Project Phase 2, is sponsored by the LCPC and co-ordinated by the Bridge (part of the National Children’s Homes Charity). It involves eight London boroughs employing community advisors in new roles to make links with faith communities and new communities within their boroughs in order to prevent and reduce child abuse. So far, four community partnership advisors have been appointed. The advisors are holding focus groups and raising awareness of the limits on physical chastisement and give training on child protection. Many useful prevention tools are being developed across Borough boundaries and are shared at meetings co-ordinated by the Bridge. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) have asked for input from the project to inform guidance they will be publishing. The issue of continuing support has been raised with the LCPC, since the project provided for only the current year’s costs-only one Borough Safeguarding Board, Hackney, fully recognises the value of the role and have confirmed local funding for 2007-8.
• Supporting the implementation of child protection procedures in Madrassahs, schools where Muslim children learn Arabic in order to read the Koran, traditions and culture. An initial consultation with Dr Siddiqui from the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain was held on 4 May 2006. The Violet team will also liaise with Kirklees Council to learn from their successful model to introduce and support child protection policies in Madrassahs across London.
• Continued progression of a female genital mutilation prevention (FGM) campaign, raising awareness in effected communities of the implications and illegality of FGM. The campaign also strives to raise awareness internally amongst MPS staff who provide investigation advice. A fast track awareness campaign was held in July 2006 prior to the ‘peak’ FGM incidence, being during school summer holidays. This campaign resulted in extensive media and press coverage and involved a joint partnership of the MPS, Africans United Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA) and Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD). A joint statement was released under this group banner endorsed by the DfES, LSCBs and the BMA. A DVD is being produced by the CAIC to assist professionals and the public in dealing with FGM issues. It will be principally aimed at the Somali community, within which incidences are believed to be most numerous, but will be of use to all communities. Currently we have no confirmed reports of acts of FGM taking place within London or the UK.
• Campaigning for minimum standards of regulation for practitioners of male circumcisions. This will involve a strategy group from all communities to address un-regulated practitioners.
• Assisting the production of a Project Violet documentary (BBC’s ‘One Life’) and taking appropriate opportunities to raise Project Violet issues in the media.
• Continuing to support existing links to CCPAS and promoting the dissemination of ‘Safe and Secure’ to multi faith churches across London.
• Good practice has been shared with, and advice and assistance given to, numerous other police forces within the United Kingdom seeking to gain knowledge of these issues.

16. For the second year running, the CAIC has successfully won the MPS Diversity In Action Award. The Community and Partnership Team which leads on Project Violet, has been recognised for their “dedication, energy and commitment to addressing the issue of abuse against children within black and minority ethnic faith communities”. The team have built relationships with members of many different communities in an attempt to raise awareness, build understanding, encourage reporting of crime and prevent and reduce child abuse. The team was successful in achieving third place at the Police Review National Diversity Awards November 2006.

The London Paladin Team

17. The London Paladin Team (LPT) is a combined police, immigration and in the near future, social services team. Their primary objective is to safeguard children at London’s ports through pro-active intervention. They have an office at London Heathrow and a permanent police presence at the Asylum Screening Unit (ASU) in Croydon. The LPT provides the necessary expertise in child related matters, which not only supports the CAIC but also other business groups and partners. Responsibilities include intercepting and debriefing travelling sex offenders, the prevention of minors being removed from the UK for the purpose of forced marriage or FGM and intervention in child abduction cases. One of the primary roles for the Paladin team is to work with Immigration to ensure that unaccompanied children and those who are otherwise vulnerable when entering the UK, are not trafficked for domestic servitude, benefit fraud, other forms of abuse or exploitation.

18. The following activity has taken place from January 2006 to date:

• Arrests 25
• Children Accommodated / Police Protection 148
• Criminal Intelligence Reports 172
• Advice to Partners 302
• Visits from other agencies 19
• Sex offender debriefs 22

19. The LPT have been involved in a recent intelligence exercise at the ASU in Croydon. This identified a number of areas of criminality that are now being jointly addressed. The LPT will provide advice, guidance and appropriate support in relation to the investigation of child trafficking matters. These investigations are invariably complex and resource intensive and where there is capacity to investigate within the LPT they will do so. Child Abuse Investigation Teams (CAIT) are not resourced to undertake these investigations and it is anticipated that cases may fall to local boroughs, Operation Maxim (Illegal Human Trafficking Investigation Team) or to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). A pan London management board supports the LPT, linking to the National Paladin sub group and in turn to the ACPO National child trafficking meeting. Early indications are that this is an area of significant growth in demand.

Operation Safetynet 2006/Child Exploitation and Online Protection

20. Operation Safetynet evolved as the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) response to all referrals received via the now defunct Policing Online Internet Team (POLIT), which was part of National Crime Intelligence Service (NCIS).

21. The Child Online Exploitation Team (CEOP) has superseded NCIS and POLIT, which is now part of SOCA. This Operation standardises the Policing response reported on-line paedophilia through research, in order to action those who pose a greater risk to children via the Internet. This has used best practice from previous Operations such as Ore and Inkerman, in an effort to deal with large-scale operations involving hundreds of potential paedophiles. It also provides a case management overview of how suspects are progressing through the criminal justice system. CEOP enlists help from SCD5 Hi Tech Crime resources in both the identification and forensication of equipment, including mobile laboratory and on site data examination and the operational intervention and prosecutions of offenders. CEOP deals with a number of different types of operations from pay per view sites to file sharing programmes and peer-to-peer networks. It also concentrates on assessing the risk posed to children, the subject and their families; it enlists the help of the ‘Stop it Now’ campaign, a paedophile prevention programme that is part of the Lucy Faithful Foundation.

22. The below is a break down on CAIC activity in relation to Operation Safetynet Investigations: January 2006 – to date:

• Total Number of Subjects referred by POLIT/CEOP 111
• Complete 62
• Arrested/Charged and awaiting Court/Sentence 3
• Bailed to Return 16
• Awaits Arrest 13
• Allocated awaiting action 4
• In research stage 8
• Circulated as unable to trace 5

Every Child Matters

23. As part of the improvements to working in partnership, the MPS has made a commitment to be represented on each Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) by both the CAIC and the local BOCU. The BOCU individual will be able to speak for the MPS with authority, commit their BOCU on policy and practice matters and be held to account for local policing activity. Additionally, the Detective Inspector of the CAIT for that area will also be part of the Board, so enabling the LSCB to tackle the issues around keeping children and young people safe with the full support of the MPS.

24. Whilst the involvement of the local BOCU and the CAIC will improve local working, the challenges which remain are being progressed by the Every Child Matters Programme Board (ECMPB) and include:

• The need for improved joint working between police and social services departments, outside of the remit of the CAIC;
• Improvements in communication and the sharing of information, especially in tackling the issues affecting children who are at risk of sexual exploitation;
• Involvement of the most appropriate police representatives at multi agency case conferences where concerns are discussed about children considered most at risk of abuse, in order to agree a protection plan (formerly the Child Protection Registers). The greater involvement of BOCU staff is key in ensuring necessary information is shared across all agencies and appropriate risk assessments conducted and managed. It requires managers of borough units e.g. Community Safety Units dealing with cases of Domestic Violence, and Youth Offending Teams, to engage their staff in this additional area of joint working.
• The Children’s Act 2004 requires greater sharing of information between all agencies working with children and young people. For the MPS this means:
• Agreeing and signing up to information sharing protocols
• Accessing the 32 different London Children’s Services Common Assessment Framework (CAF) electronic systems
• Inputting data and searching the DfES National Information Sharing Index (INI).
• The introduction of CAF will have a significant impact on both CAIC and Territorial Policing. The CAF process is likely to significantly increase the notifications of children, because the threshold for recording this information is significantly lowered in order that children and young people who are not achieving the Every Child Matters five Key outcomes can be identified.
• The challenge for the MPS is to develop an alternative set of processes for recording and managing this information. This work is currently part of the work being undertaken by the ECMPB
• Although there is government funding being made available to help make the relevant technical changes to systems, it is not known at this time what financial impact this will have on the MPS regarding CAF or INI.
• There will be a significant training and costs requirement across the MPS for the full introduction and adoption of the principles and activities associated with safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.

Safeguarding Children Board

25. The LCPC is holding its annual conference on 15 December 2006. The LCPC along with the MPS, have updated and re-written the LCPC Guidance on Child Protection and this will be progressed at the conference. In October 2006, the Committee was re-launched as the London Safeguarding Children Board with a new Chair, Derek Myers, who is Chief Executive of Royal Borough Kensington & Chelsea. Representation from the MPS has been broadened to include a Territorial Policing representative - Commander Jarman - who also chairs the MPS ECMPB.

Abbreviations

AFRUCA

Africans United Against Child Abuse

ASU

Asylum Screening Unit

CAF

Common Assessment Framework

CAIC

Child Abuse Investigation Command

CAIT

Child Abuse Investigation Team

CCPAS

Churches Child Protection Advisory Service

CEOP

Child Exploitation On Line Protection

DfES

Department for Educational Skills

ECMPB

Every Child Matters Programme Board

FGM

Female Genital Mutilation

FORWARD

Foundation for Women’s health research and development

INI

National Information Sharing Index

LCPC

London Child Protection Committee

LPT

London Paladin Team

LSCB

Local Safeguarding Children’s Board

NCIS

National Criminal Intelligence Service

NCRS

National Crime Recording Standard

POLIT

Policing On Line Protection Team

SMT

Senior Management Team

SOCA

Serious and Organised Crime Agency

SUDI

Sudden and Unexpected Death in Infancy

C. Race and equality impact

1. Those areas of child abuse investigation which impact upon diverse communities are always likely to attract the possible criticism of stigmatising a certain community and a failure to respect culture and tradition. However, the priority of any investigation will always be the welfare of the child. Through projects such as Violet, it is hoped that education and awareness will help to promote a safer environment for all children in the UK.

2. Working in partnership with community leaders and seeking advice from the Safeguarding Children IAG, in relation to possible disproportionate community impact, investigations are conducted sensitively and with respect to all sections of the community. The advice of the IAG Chair has been sought in preparing this report to members.

3. Whilst statistics demonstrate that paedophiles are found within all communities, within the wider community, there remains an inaccurate perception that paedophiles are more commonly associated with the gay community, leaving individuals potentially vulnerable to greater stigmatisation and revenge attacks. These issues are incorporated into risk assessments, training for staff and the preparation of media releases to reduce the potentially negative impact on communities and individuals. Specific community issues that are identified are then progressed through consultation with the Safeguarding Children IAG and the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Trans-sexual IAG.

D. Financial implications

1. The SCD5 bottom line budget forecast 2006-7 is for an underspend of £356,872, which is significantly contributed to by an underspend on police officer pay. The SCD5 Overtime budget is currently forecasting an overspend of £87,000 to year-end.

2. The SCD5 Hi-Tech Crime Unit was set up with specific MPA approval for funding through the realignment of existing budgets in 2005-06. The Unit are seen as a National centre of excellence for Covert Internet Investigation. Many county forces seek their advice and services and there is the possibility of income recovery in the future. Current staff receive high levels of continuous specialist training which has a large cost implication as new staff join the team and consideration of options to expand it. Demands on the unit are expanding with the increased use of the Internet to share unlawful images of children and of IT to identify where unlawful data is being shared among many thousands of computers within London and the UK. Considerations are currently being given to seeking additional support for an investigation, which has identified over 4,000 suspects.

3. Project Violet and the continuing second phase of the Community Partnership Initiative, will require additional funding for 2007-8.

4. Operation Paladin was originally created in 2005 with the use of additional external funding. Currently, the team are resourced by the re-alignment of CAIC staff and budgets from other operational teams, to the extent of £534,000. This has had a negative impact on the Borough Child Abuse Investigation teams. This is an area of growing demand on the MPS and resourcing for the unit in 2007-8 will need to be addressed. A current investigation will be seeking SOCA support for a UK wide investigation into the illegal trafficking of children.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Det Supt Caroline Bates/ DCI Neil Smith, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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