News

Scotland could become a target for paedophiles if proposals for a 10-year maximum sentence for grooming are made law, the Association of Directors of Social Work has warned.

In its response to the consultation on the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill, the ADSW is calling for the maximum sentence to be raised to 14 years, the same as in England.

"We would wish to see consistency of sentencing across the UKÉ An individual could travel from England to commit an offence in the knowledge that if he or she were caught they could receive a lesser sentence for the offence in Scotland than in England," Bernadette Doherty, convener of ADSW's children and families committee, said.

Implementing the bill would also have costs for child protection as well as criminal justice social work, she said. "For those who are then placed on the child protection register, social work may be required to carry out a range of interventions and support. Most local authorities are already inadequately funded for this and the system would struggle to accommodate additional pressures," she added.