LGA calls for new banning order in drive to prevent child sexual exploitation

The Local Government Association has called for the introduction of ‘disruption orders’, a new type of banning order aimed at stopping predatory men suspected of grooming children for sex.

Under the proposals:

  • The orders would see anyone suspected of grooming children for sexual exploitation banned from certain types of activity, such as hanging around outside schools, for a fixed period of time, in specific instances.
  • Victims would not be required to testify when an application for an order was heard.
  • Breach of a CSE disruption order would be a criminal offence.

The LGA said child sexual exploitation disruption orders would differ from the current Sexual Risk Orders in that they could be granted by a court on the application of local authorities and other concerned parties such as the NHS and schools, where they can show that their concerns are sufficient that magistrates would be willing to grant them.

“The orders would be similar to Domestic Violence Protection Orders or Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) but tailored to the risks associated with CSE,” the association.

The LGA said the new orders would “give social workers and police a way of intervening in child sexual exploitation when they suspect something is going on but cannot provide evidence to bring a criminal prosecution without a child having been already harmed”.

The Association said it hoped the next government would introduce a bill for the orders in the first Queen’s Speech after the election. It added that the proposal had received the backing of Barnardo’s.

Birmingham City Council has previously used civil injunctions against men in cases where child sexual exploitation was believed to be taking place but there was not sufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution.

Cllr David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “At present sanctions to prevent the grooming of vulnerable children are too limited and we need to make it easier to intervene earlier before harm is done. By making it possible for councils to apply swiftly to the courts for an order to disrupt grooming we can help prevent the lives of children being ruined by sexual exploitation.

“We need a commitment from the next government that they will act swiftly to legislate for these orders, so no more communities will suffer the scars of child sexual exploitation. The introduction of Sexual Risk Orders is an important step in giving the police more powers but we need to extend this to the wider community if we are to tackle CSE effectively.”

Cllr Simmonds added: “We are not trying to pass a sentence before someone has been charged, nor do we intend to stop people from carrying out their normal daily activities. But we need to know children are safe from the menace of CSE and disrupting the activities of those we suspect of grooming young people can only help this.”