Child abusers 'escape punishment

The vast majority of paedophiles continue to evade justice with conviction rates falling despite soaring levels of recorded child sex abuse, according to research published today.

Thinktank the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) warned that the failure to improve the conviction rate for child sex offences meant that paedophiles were undeterred from applying to work with children.

It called for stricter vetting procedures to identify potential abusers, recommending that boarding schools, care homes and youth prisons rigorously investigate applicants' life histories and references, rather than just relying on police checks.

The foundation also backed calls by the Soham vetting inquiry to improve the recording, handling and sharing of "soft" information about suspected sex offenders, such as allegations of abuse and unsuccessful prosecutions.

Sir Michael Bichard's inquiry into how Soham murderer Ian Huntley got a job as a school caretaker revealed that one of the police forces that vetted him had deleted records of allegations of underage sex and rape from its child protection database. As a result the risk he posed to young girls was not identified.

Marian Stuart, co-author of the JRF report, noted that Home Office figures show that fewer than one in 50 sexual offences against children results in a criminal conviction. Recorded offences of gross indecency against children doubled between 1985 and 2001, but the conviction rate dropped from 42% to 19%.

Ms Stuart said: "If this problem continues to go unchecked, there will be an inexorable rise in the numbers of children subjected to sexual abuse, with all the damaging effects that can follow. A radical rethink is essential.

"We need to put more effort into gathering and analysing information about abusers and the scale of abuse, so that effective prevention, early intervention and treatment can be provided."

The JRF report examined what measures had been taken to improve the protection of children in residential and foster care, boarding schools, hospices and prison since a landmark report, People Like Us by Sir William Utting, into child abuse in Welsh care homes was published seven years ago.

The latest research, which was overseen by Sir William, found that safeguards for children remain poor despite a range of government reforms. Those with disabilities and mental health problems are particularly at risk, according to the report.

Policies to improve child protection have been introduced since 1997, such as inspections and minimum standards for care homes, but the JRF found that implementation of these initiatives has been patchy across the country. It called on the government to ensure that these policies were properly enforced.