Child criminal exploitation and cuckooing to be criminal offences

Children and vulnerable people who are exploited by gangs for criminal purposes will receive greater protection, with two new criminal offences set to be introduced by the government.

Landmark legislation will be brought forward to ban cuckooing, a highly exploitative practice where criminals seize control of a vulnerable person’s home without consent to conduct illegal activities like drug dealing.

Another new offence will be created against adults who use a child to commit criminal activity. Both of these measures will be part of the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which is set to be introduced in Parliament.

Current estimates show that approximately 14,500 children were identified as at risk or involved in child criminal exploitation (CCE) in 2023 to 2024, although this is likely an underestimate as many exploited children will not be known to authorities.

However, under current legislation, only a small number of individuals have been charged for using children in criminal activity.

The standalone CCE offence will therefore look to target those adults who groom and exploit children into criminal activity, such as county lines drug running or organised robbery, as well as increasing the opportunities for children to be identified.

Those convicted of committing a CCE offence could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, sending a clear message that this form of child exploitation will never be tolerated, Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said.

“The exploitation of children and vulnerable people for criminal gain is sickening and it is vital we do everything in our power to eradicate it from our streets.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we are introducing these two offences to properly punish those who prey on them, ensure victims are properly protected and prevent these often-hidden crimes from occurring in the first place.

“These steps are vital in our efforts to stop the grooming and exploitation of children into criminal gangs, deliver on our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade and work towards our overall mission to make our streets safer.

The new legislation is said to include the creation of new CCE prevention orders, which may be issued at the end of criminal proceedings or upon application by police. These orders will ensure that courts can impose restrictions and requirements on individuals who pose a risk of exploiting a child for criminal purposes, such as limiting their ability to work with children, contact specific people or go to a certain area.
The Home Secretary added that these orders will help manage the risk of offending, or reoffending, and that breach of these orders will also be a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England, has long-campaigned around the issue of CCE.

“The ruthless criminal exploitation of vulnerable children has been a brutal and lucrative business model for organised criminals for too long,” Longfield said.

“It has had tragic consequences for thousands of young lives and has devastated families and communities. This change in the law is long overdue, very welcome, and will save lives.”

Mark Russell, Chief Executive at The Children’s Society said the new offence is a “vital step forward” and one that the charity has been campaigning for over the years.

“A standalone crime of child criminal exploitation (CCE) will finally shift the focus onto perpetrators, not victims. For too long, adults who groom children into criminal activity – forcing them to hold drugs or launder money or commit theft – have evaded accountability. Charges such as drug possession ignore the core truth; these are child abusers exploiting vulnerable young people.

“To protect the 14,500 children identified at risk last year – and the thousands more unseen – these measures must be backed by three pillars; strong enforcement, training for safeguarding professionals and a statutory definition of CCE to help end the postcode lottery in victim support.”

In further measures to better protect vulnerable people, a new offence making cuckooing illegal will also be introduced.

People often with disabilities or those with substance misuse issues are targeted by criminals for their own personal gain who take over their homes and exploit them. The practice is commonly associated with drug supply, serious violence and antisocial behaviour.

The introduction of this new offence will target individuals who take over the homes of vulnerable people for criminal purposes and punish them for the harm caused and will carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.