Emergency accommodation needed for children, charity warns

A leading children’s charity has today called for a
national network of emergency accommodation to protect children
from falling into prostitution, writes Amy
Taylor.

The Children’s Society is urging an urgent review of the
law to ensure children involved in prostitution are protected and
supported rather than punished.

Many children who become involved in prostitution have run away
from home or local authority care and have no where safe to go,
putting them at greater risk of sexual exploitation.

The charity hopes to get 100,000 signatures on the petition
calling for the national network of safe emergency accommodation
– one signature for each child under-16 who runs away from
home each year.

The charity’s comments are in response to the
government’s consultation on prostitution entitled
‘Paying the Price’.

Consultation from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/paying_the_price.html