'TOOTHLESS' NEW SEX ABUSE LAWS WON'T PROTECT CHILDREN

Government accused of refusing to enforce rules over reporting predators

- By Jonathan Walker

LAWS to protect children from sexual abuse will be "ineffective" because the Government is refusing to enforce them, a damning inquiry has warned.

Anybody working with children must tell police or their council if they suspect a child sex offence has been committed, under new legislation, which some warn "lacks teeth". But the Government has rejected calls to make failure to comply a criminal offence. An inquiry said the measures “may not do enough to provide effective protection against child sexual abuse”.

The potential penalty for failing to report suspicions of abuse is be barred from working with children - and even this is not guaranteed.

Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights said in a report the Government must “reconsider the consequence of failing to comply with the duty to report child sexual abuse, so that it operates as an effective deterrent”.

The National Secular Society has warned the legislation as currently proposed “lacks teeth”.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell said: “Accountability is central to effective safeguarding, so robust measures to ensure mandatory reporting are crucial if children are to be kept safe.”