It is estimated that only one in eight victims of sexual abuse come to the attention of statutory authorities (Children’s Commissioner 2015).

Some children do disclose abuse when still young, but were not heard or no action was taken. (Allnock and Miller, 2013; Lampard and Marsden, 2015).

How can you read the above facts and not be shocked that the small number of children that do come forward, are not heard or that no action is taken – this is why we want to start a campaign to discourage ‘NFA’’s (No Further Action) being used in cases of child sexual abuse, by Police and Local Authorities.

‘No further action’ is when the police make a decision not to charge someone with an offence. This may be because there is not enough evidence or it is not in the public interest (yjlc.uk/). 

What is at stake:

The young people that disclose sexual abuse later on in their lives (whether this be when they are older, when they feel comfortable to do so or when they have worked through their trauma and are ready) are sometimes met with ‘NFA’ decisions/conclusions by Police and their Local Authority. 

This decision could have been made years before when the same disclosure was made but there was not enough evidence. 

We are asking that when a young person makes a disclosure relating to a past investigation, instead of offering an NFA conclusion, it is clearly documented for all professionals to see, that all actions were taken and there were no further avenues to take at the time.

Lets imagine that a young person speaks about past sexual abuse. This young person is being extremely vulnerable and open to someone they trust. Whether this be through safety, therapeutic support and recovery, their fragmented memory becomes clear and they are able to give a more coherent account of what happened to them. Then imagine that they are met with ‘this was looked at years ago and was NFA’.

Why is now the time to act:

In 2021/22, Childline delivered 324 counselling sessions with young people aged 11 and under about sexual abuse/exploitation (excluding online). This was an increase of 20% compared to 2020/21, when the figure was 270. (nspcc.org.uk/)

Join us in helping young people get the care and answers they deserve!