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11 Aug 2021

Sexual offences are probably the most commonly committed crimes in the UK. There are many different types of ways that sexual offences can be committed and these include  offences without physical contact and also crimes committed against children. If you have been a victim of sexual offence crimes then contact ABV Solicitors and our expert solicitors will be able to give you professional and friendly advice and guide you through what is a very traumatic process for you.

Child abuse

Your sexual offence solicitor will explain to you that there are many different forms of child abuse, including child sexual abuse and grooming. There has been an increase in crimes being committed against children and one of the major reasons for this is children’s access to social media and online forums. Children often do not realise that they are speaking to adults or sexual offenders and other such criminals and as they are young, they tend to get easily manipulated and influenced by the people they communicate and engage with. More often than not the perpetrator is someone that the child knows, either a parent, family friend, guardian, carer, teacher or some other caregiver. It is therefore important to ensure that parents and guardians keep a close eye on children and who they are communicating with online and on social media, to avoid such relationships forming in the first place. Your sexual offence solicitor will be able to give you more advice on this.

What is child sexual abuse and what does it entail?

A sexual offence solicitor will be able to tell you that child sexual abuse arises whereby a person under the age of 18 is forced or incited into taking part in sexual activity, irrespective of whether that child is aware or unaware of what is happening to them. The sexual abuse does not need to involve a high degree of violence. The definition of child sexual abuse is broad due to the severity of the crime and to ensure the protection of children. It is therefore much easier to prove child sexual abuse than adult sexual abuse.

The fact that the child does not need to be aware of what is happening to them is to cover very young children who will not have any knowledge of what is happening and will not understand that what is happening to them is indeed wrong. The legal definition of child sexual abuse does not require the element and again this is due to the fact that children’s consent to sexual activities committed against them would not be valid and cannot be used as a defence. It is important to note that child sexual abuse can be committed by men, women or other children.

What is the sentencing for child sexual abuse?

Criminals that commit child sexual abuse and are found guilty will end up serving a prison sentence. The length of the sentence will depend on the severity and the heinousness of the actions committed. This area of the law is still in the process of being fine tuned and being developed and we will know further on this topic in due course.