Child protection orders 'failing'

Jun 30 2012

Legislation designed to protect children from sexual offences is failing, the Scottish Conservatives have warned, as statistics suggested offences against young children have doubled in the past year.

Only 14 Risk of Sexual Harm Orders (RSHOs) have been issued since they were introduced in 2005.

The Protection of Children and the Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005 brought in the orders to protect children from those who display inappropriate behaviour towards them.

The orders are applied to those who are deemed a risk to children through behaviour which falls short of criminal activity.

The legislation also introduced a number of other offences, such as grooming, to protect children from sexual harm - but the SNP has revealed that only 24 people have been convicted under the Act since 2005, with just seven convicted in 2011.

The figures came to light in response to written Parliamentary Questions from Margaret Mitchell.

Five RSHOs have been breached since 2005.

Scottish Government figures released earlier this week showed there were 1,933 sexual offences recorded against children in 2011-12. That was up from 946 the previous year.

Scottish Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell said: "This Act was set up to protect Scotland's children from sexual offences, but it's clearly not working.

"Yesterday's crime statistics show that sexual offences against children have more than doubled in just a year, which is simply staggering."