The Government statement today once more relies on ‘common sense’ to change the culture and approach of ‘professionals’ (public servants) to the crime of #CSE. Reliance on this flimsy hope mirrors the statement from Mr Hunt (Health Minister) which detailed the breakdown of safeguarding at Stoke Mandeville and how the future is best served by doses of ‘common sense.’ Add to this the Conservative initiative of holding public officials to account with a charge of ‘wilful neglect,‘ and in Government imaginings, #CSE issue is sorted. In a Panorama programme about #MR Keir Starmer the former DPP explains why wilfil neglect is little more than a ‘fall back’ provision.
Anne Lawrence of MandateNow on #bbcpm explains the difference between MR and wilful neglect. Excellent interview.
And others agree. Under the headline Prosecutions Unlikely Under New Child Expolitation Offence a law firm confirms the inadequacies of the proposals which are very far from a culture changer and are unlikely to be effective.
In Mr Mair’s introduction he alluded to the NSPCC supporting MR. Unfortunately this misrepresents the position of the NSPCC because the NGO’s proposal does not deliver MR. We explain here.