This report is a follow-up review.
Read the original report this review is based onPublished: 15 Dec 2025
In 2020, an Inspection Report examined the criminal justice system’s response to child sexual exploitation in Northern Ireland. This Follow-Up Review assessed progress made against the Inspection recommendations and showed that further progress was required by the criminal justice system to protect children in Northern Ireland from abuse and to disrupt and prosecute perpetrators effectively.
Child sexual exploitation is a form of child abuse and it is happening in towns and cities and rural communities across Northern Ireland. Offenders can target any child, including those in care or those facing difficulties at home or school. According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statistics, 55% of recorded sexual offences in Northern Ireland during 2023-24 involved victims under the age of 18. This concerning statistic reinforces the need for a strong and co-ordinated response from criminal justice leaders to better protect children.
The Inspection Team identified dedicated individuals who were committed to prosecuting offenders of child sexual exploitation and protecting children from abuse.
Other positive findings highlighted the PSNI’s efforts to build strong collaborative partnerships to improve understanding of the extent of child sexual exploitation in Northern Ireland and work to develop of a ‘Problem Profile’. Additionally, the revised policies of the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland and multi-agency training opportunities were noted as positive progress.
While work has been ongoing to implement the nine recommendations made in 2020, Inspectors assessed only one had been fully achieved with six partially achieved and two not achieved. There were differences between the progress organisations believed they had made towards achieving the inspection recommendations and Inspectors assessment. Inspectors considered positive progress noted five years ago had not been maintained.
Despite the work undertaken in the last five years, Inspectors were concerned that the staffing pressures and he redeployment of PSNI Officers had impacted the organisation’s response to and investigation of child sexual exploitation.
Another area for concern was the need to embed a ‘child-first’ ethos, to ensure young people at risk of being exploited were considered as children first, even if they were above the age of consent.
A lack of data on the types of offences and numbers of offenders prosecuted meant there was limited information available to show how well children are being protected or how effectively the legal frameworks were working.
Tackling child sexual exploitation in our community requires a strong, co-ordinated response that goes beyond the criminal justice system with regular and effective oversight by senior officials working together.
This Follow-Up Review urges criminal justice leaders to address ongoing challenges. to work to fully implement the inspection recommendations to better protect children and improve outcomes.
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