‘More help for child prostitutes needed’

Sexually exploited children and young people are not receiving
enough support from statutory agencies because they are failing to
identify them, according to a report released this week.

Interviews with 41 people aged 16-38 found that many had attempted
at least once to leave prostitution but had not been given enough
support.

The report, by a group of children’s charities, including
Barnardo’s and the Children’s Society, was funded by the Home
Office.

All those interviewed had suffered physical or sexual abuse at home
and feared their pimp more than the stranger whose car they got
in.

More than three-quarters of those interviewed had run away from
home at least once. Last week Barnardo’s criticised a Social
Exclusion Unit report on young runaways for failing to include
recommendations on sexual exploitation (news, page 12, 5
December).

Helen Veitch, co-ordinator of End Child Prostitution, Pornography
and Trafficking, said: “This report highlights how invaluable the
experiences of these children and young people are in understanding
the problem of child prostitution.

“They feel an overwhelming sense of isolation from services.”

The charities are now calling for joint strategies between police,
social services, health and education departments to provide a
service for children at risk of sexual exploitation.

– More than One Chance from www.ecpat.org.uk

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