Government criticised over 'major flaw' in violence against women and girls strategy as ten organisations send letter to Home Secretary
A pledge to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) can only be fulfilled if it properly addresses child sex abuse, campaigners have warned.
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Ten organisations, including NSPCC, Barnardo's and The Internet Watch Foundation, have urged the government to rethink its upcoming strategy due in September.
The letter sent to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warns the omission of child sex abuse means the issue of VAWG is not "truly tackled" as they are "inherently and deeply connected".
It comes after MPs said the government was "oblivious" to the scale violence against women.
It said: “This is a worldwide threat, with children overwhelmingly bearing the brunt of sexual violence and abuse both off and online.
“Victims of child sexual abuse are also more likely to be victims of adult sexual violence and domestic abuse.”
Read more: MPs say Government is ‘oblivious’ to the scale of violence against women
Ministers have promised to halve VAGW by 2034 but an internal Home Office memo seen by Sky News revealed child sex abuse was included as it was not "explicitly within the scope".
However, the letter said: “Violence against girls is inseparable from violence against women. VAWG and child sexual abuse are inherently and deeply connected – with shared root causes like gender inequality, misogyny and power imbalances making a coordinated and joined-up response essential.
“Children are also disproportionately likely to be victims. Each year, around 500,000 children in England and Wales will experience some form of sexual abuse, and children account for 40% of all victims of sexual offences, despite making up just 20% of the population."
NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood said that children, especially girls, are "are disproportionately affected by sexual abuse and exploitation both online and offline."
"The trauma this can cause doesn’t always end in childhood; it can echo throughout their lives," he continued.
“To deliver on their promise to halve violence against women and girls, this strategy must tackle all forms of child abuse. This must include equipping professionals to spot abuse early on, engaging young people so that abuse is prevented in the first place, and improving access to specialist support for all victims.
“We urge the Government to ensure the strategy delivers robust, coordinated action to confront this crisis head on. We owe it to all children to protect them from the full spectrum of harms we know they are experiencing, including sexual abuse and exploitation.”
In May, the cross-party Public Accounts Committee warned is a "particular concern" that in spite of evidence that the age range of those most likely to become a victim or perpetrator of sexual violence is between 11 and 20, the Home Office does not include under-16s in its information gathering.
Committee member Anna Dixon said: "On some types of harm, government appears to be oblivious to the true scale and there remains scant evidence or learning from what is working locally.
"It is vital that the Home Office seizes this opportunity to lead and co-ordinate strong action across departments to ensure victims and survivors have access to the services and support they need and deserve, and that as a society we reverse the worrying rise in misogyny."
A Government spokesperson said: “The forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy will include targeted action to tackle Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, as well as other VAWG crimes, but there is also a distinctive and transformative workstream underway to address the specific crimes of CSEA, to ensure those crimes get the specialist response they demand”.