Child exploitation team helps safeguard 75 youngsters

It has been almost a year since the dedicated child trafficking and exploitation team was launched at Warwickshire Police.

The team was launched in April 2023 and in this time, they have helped to safeguard 75 young people who have been or are at risk of being exploited. This exploitation can either be sexual or criminal.  

Speaking as part of Child Exploitation Week, Superintendent Pete Hill, public protection lead for Warwickshire Police, said: “Unfortunately there will always be people who will look to exploit children who are often some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The setting up the new team last year meant for the first time we had officers solely specialising in the trafficking and exploitation of children.“Children are often more vulnerable to exploitation because they trust their abuser and don’t realise they are being exploited. When they do realise, they feel unable to tell anyone due to violence, intimidation, and fear.

“The public is becoming a lot more alert to the signs of children being exploited either sexually or for criminal gain. The vigilance of our communities and the reports we receive from them are vital in helping us tackle child exploitation. I encourage people to continue to look a little closer, ask questions and raise any concerns they have.”

The team has also issued 30 Child Abduction Warning Notices (CAWN) and 25 Child Exploitation Warning Notices (CEWN) since its introduction. These can be issued to potential suspects early in an investigation, banning them from associating with a named child. While non-compliance is not a criminal offence it can provide evidence to support a criminal prosecution.

Det Supt Hill said: “CAWNs and CEWNs are a useful tool to help us protect vulnerable people while we work to establish whether an offence has taken place. Quite often they are enough of a warning to discourage potential offenders by showing that we are aware of concerns around their behaviour.”

Spotting the signs of child exploitation

You can help by looking out for the signs of exploitation. Signs include:

• going missing from home or care
• physical injuries
• misuse of drugs or alcohol
• involvement in offending
• repeat sexually-transmitted infections, pregnancies or terminations
• absenteeism from school
• deterioration in physical appearance
• evidence of online sexual bullying
• evidence of vulnerability on social networking sites
• emotional distance from family members
• receiving gifts from unknown sources
• recruiting others into exploitative situations
• poor mental health
• self-harming
• thinking about or attempting suicide

How to report concerns

If you suspect a child is being exploited, you can report it by going to www.warwickshire.police.uk/report or call 101. If someone is in immediate danger call 999. You can also visit your local police station.

You can also speak to a professional practitioner at the NSPCC or contact Warwickshire Safeguarding.

Fearless is a independent from the police that allows young people to raise concerns while remaining 100% anonymous.