143 recorded sex crimes for Abuse of Position of Trust in the North West.
But it is not illegal for sports coaches or other youth leaders to have sexual contact with 16 and 17 year olds in their care
NSPCC’s #TrustToLead campaign calls for Position of Trust laws to be extended

Offences involving adults in positions of trust who have sexual contact with children in their care have reached a total of 143 in the North West since 2011-12, official data shows.

But the NSPCC fears the true extent of abuse is much worse, because the law doesn’t apply to youth work roles such as sports coaches and leaders of religious groups.

There has been a 57% increase in offences for Abuse of Position of Trust in England and Wales since 2011-12, where professionals such as teachers or care staff have sexual contact with 16 or 17-year-old children they work with. In total, 1,290 offences have been recorded since 2011-12 with 143 of those recorded by the North West’s four police forces.

The NSPCC’s #TrustToLead campaign is calling for laws on Position of Trust to be extended, to better protect children in sport and other youth activities.

A legal loophole means adults with regular and intense contact with children in sport and other activities are able to groom them from a young age, and abuse that trusting relationship to have sexual contact as soon as the child turns 16.

This was what happened to Lee* who was befriended by youth leader, Adam* at his church group when he was 15. Adam began texting Lee and asking to spend time together outside of the group.

Lee said: “Adam started by sitting closer to me on the sofa, trailing his finger on to mine. Things which I thought were weird but not big enough to react to.”

Things escalated to kissing and sexual contact when Lee turned 16.

He added: “I was so confused but knew what he was doing was wrong. I wanted it to stop but part of me was afraid to speak out because I didn’t want to get him in trouble.”

NSPCC Head of Policy Almudena Lara said: “Safeguarding in children’s clubs should not end suddenly at 16. The NSPCC has been told of a number of cases where in sports and other youth work settings, leaders have used their position to groom children, and then take advantage of them as soon as they turn 16.
“It is baffling that sports coaches and other youth workers are not deemed to be in a position of trust, given the significant responsibility, influence and authority that adults in these roles have over the children they are there to look after.
“Sadly, we know that this trust can be abused and it is therefore vital that this legal definition is widened to include sports coaches and other youth workers, bolstering protection for teenagers at risk of grooming once they pass the age of consent.”
ENDS


For more information on the NSPCC’s Trust to Lead Campaign see here.
Home Office recorded offences for abuse of position of trust were as follows:
Year

Recorded offences England and Wales

% change over one year

2011-12

176



2012-13

192

9%

2013-14

194

0.5%

2014-15

211

8.8%

2015-16

240

14%

2016-17

277

15%




Sum of offences













Force

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

Total

Cheshire

3

3

3

2

4

4

19

Lancashire

6

6

6

4

2

10

34

Merseyside

2

2

3

8

11

17

43

Greater Manchester

3

4

6

13

7

14

47

North West Total

14

15

18

27

24

45

143


Lee’s story
*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.
Quite early on, Adam and I began texting. He then started suggesting we should hang out outside of the group. I didn’t think anything of it, as I thought it was probably not uncommon for Youth Workers to want to spend time with young people like myself.

I didn’t have a lot of friends, I think because of the Christian thing; people at School weren’t really going that way and I felt slightly isolated.

I felt like I had a made a close friend in Adam. He was paying me attention and I enjoyed his company; it felt like he was really looking out for me. He allowed me to become an active member of the youth group, which I liked, and at times I would visit three or four times a week; each time with him providing me transport.

Then, Adam began encouraging me to hang out with him at his house. He started telling me that we had a special friendship.

It was very gradual and all quite innocent to start with, but I began to feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Adam started by sitting closer to me on the sofa, trailing his finger on to mine. Things which I thought were weird but not big enough to react to.

Over time, this turned into extended hugs and him kissing my face. He would tell me that I was his best mate and what we had was special. He said it was normal to do these things, even biblical; reading me passages from the Bible.

As things continued I told him I wasn’t comfortable with what he was doing. He didn’t listen but instead ramped things up by kissing me on the lips. The kissing on the lips then became more regular and I felt helpless to tell anybody about what was happening.

When I told Adam, that I wasn’t gay, I liked girls and I wanted him to stop, he would turn things round telling me that I must want this, because I’d instigated it. He would threaten to take me off the preaching rota or to stop giving me lifts. Adam made me feel as if I would be ostracised from the group if I put a stop to things with him and told me constantly that I wasn’t to tell anyone.

Things began to escalate when he made us ********** in the same room as each other. I began to realise he had this massive thing about masturbation. When we weren’t together, he would text me telling me that he thought about me while he was masturbating. The pressure continued from him, that we were going to spend our lives together and he wanted us to have sex.

I was so confused but knew what he was doing was wrong. I wanted it to stop but part of me was afraid to speak out because I didn’t want to get him in trouble. Looking back now, I realise the level of grooming and manipulation. He purposely made me feel so reliant on him and not being able to talk to anybody about what was happening was making me feel really depressed.

Background on legislation
Position of trust –
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. But this definition is currently limited to certain regulated settings and positions including: education and care settings; clinics; hospitals; voluntary children’s homes; residential family centres; criminal justice settings.

Thus sexual activity between an adult coach and a 16 or 17 year old child is not currently illegal in most contexts, because the role of sports coach falls outside the legal definition of a ‘position of trust’.

The Home Secretary has the power to make the proposed changes – so primary legislation isn’t needed.