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Child Neglect
UK News

Church workers 'should be included in sex offence statistics'

by Cara Bentley

However, the term 'position of trust' in the law only covers teachers, nurses and other official care settings - not church leaders and other adults such as sports leaders.

The NSPCC fears the figure could be much higher if it included others who have authority over children.

The term is important because it is an offence for someone over 18 in a defined position of trust to engage in sexual activity with 16 and 17 year olds in their care, even if the legal age of consent in other circumstances is 16.

The 82 per cent statistic refers to the increase in the number of recorded crimes involving adults who used their role to groom under 16 year olds and then lead them into sexual activity when they were of legal age.

Premier spoke to Ben Sundell, Senior Public Affairs Officer at the NSPCC, who said: "We've been made aware from a number of different cases from a variety of different settings...the number could be a lot higher in reality because of these areas which aren't covered".

Ben Sundell added: "We're calling on the government to act and bring these other roles under arm of the law."

The NSPCC have revealed the case of one young man who was abused at church.

Mr Sundell explained: "A youth leader was grooming a child over a period of time and then the moment this guy turned 16 he began to ramp things up and started off with giving him lifts, maybe allowing him some alcohol, putting him on the preaching rota, making him feel like he was going to be at the front and fore of being a preacher."

The leader was then "removing these things when the guy wasn't playing ball."

"This young lad had to kiss the youth leader" as well as experience further sexual exploitation.

The NSPCC said he was "using the lad's future - he wanted to be a preacher - as sort of holding him hostage to the demands of the youth leader".

The NSPCC's #TrustToLead campaign is urging Government to go further and extend the law to cover all adults working regularly with children, including religious leaders, adults working in the arts, outdoor pursuits and other activities.

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