As the CESAGRAM project hurtles towards its final month in December 2024 the practitioner’s training that has been delivered in Lithuania, Greece and Italy also draws to a close.

In the UK alone online grooming crimes against children has increased by 89% in the last 6 years since the offence of sexual communication with a child came into force. It must be said that this increase reflects only crimes that have been reported and recorded in this way, the reality is that the numbers are likely to be much bigger than this as we know that disclosures of abuse are rare and incredibly difficult for children and young people to make. There is no doubt that the UK will not be alone in seeing an increase of grooming and sexual offences against children and that statistics such as these will be similar across the globe and within the countries the CESAGRAM project has been part of.

In recent weeks media reports on the conviction of Alexander McCartney in the UK highlight how the insidious actions of perpetrators of sexual offences against children meant that even those around him were shocked to hear that he abused children. In this particular case there were 350 victims identified and 232,000 first generation child sexual abuse images found on his devices. Of the 350 victims identified only 4 had reported what was done to them. This emphasises the need for those around a child to understand how behaviour is a form of communication and for us to be professionally curious, asking the right questions, at the right time and in the right way.

Statistics, research and cases such as these highlight the importance of ensuring that as a workforce within the UK and the EU we are at the forefront of our game in developing technology and strategies for tackling grooming and child sexual abuse, whilst ensuring the voice of the victim is central in all we do to support their recovery journey. Ensuring we are a prepared and trained as a workforce is vital.

Over the duration of the CESAGRAM project, Marie Collins Foundation has delivered 3-day train the trainer events, ‘Click Path to Protection’ for around 180 practitioners across law enforcement, education, social services and charitable organisations who work with children, young people and their families in across the three countries. 

These practitioners will now be able to contribute towards the continued development of knowledge and awareness of TACSA and grooming by disseminating the learning and training to colleagues and services within their reach, giving the project a level of sustainability that we had strived for.

We would like to thank all of the participants who attended training in Lithuania, Greece and Italy for their time and dedication to creating a Comprehensive European Strategy Against GRooming and Missing and who were so open to discussion, reflection on their practice and to developing their work to provide a better response to victims and survivors. Together we can improve outcomes for victims of Technology Assisted Child Sexual Abuse.