Child Abuse Laws to be Strengthened in England and Wales

 

School Heads Pleased with First Day of Return  

  • Millions of children have begun their staggered return to schools across the UK 
  • Reports suggest that there has been a ‘high level’ of take-up in COVID testing and compliance with safety measures within schools.  
  • A snapshot of more than 700 secondary schools suggested that the use of COVID testing was between 90-100% for more than half of schools. However, in around 1 in 20 schools the take-up rate for testing was below 60% for pupils.  
  • This follows previous warnings that parental consent would create difficulties for the mass testing roll out.  
  • To find out more about the guidance on schools returning in your region, check out our recent article here

Trainee Paramedic Admits Sex Offences Against Four Young Children  

  • The Trainee paramedic confessed his guilt to the 12 charges against him, which included (among others) inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent images and distributing indecent images of children. 
  • The offences were committed in May 2017.  
  • It was reported that the defendant ‘blackmailed’ his victims into sending him naked images.  
  • Sentencing is due to be passed in April, and he must now sign the sex offenders register. 

 

Former Radio DJ Faces Child Sexual Abuse Charges 

  • Mark Page, 62, is facing two counts of attempting to incite a female child into sexual activity and a further two counts of arranging or facilitating sexual exploitation in the Philippines.  
  • The defendant must now wait a year before his trial begins due to a backlog caused by the pandemic.
  • Mr Page worked for Radio 1 in the 1980s and reportedly had business, military and charitable interests in the Philippines for a number of years. 
  • Make sure to sign up for our training today (4th of March) at 3pm: ‘An Introduction to County Lines’ here