Child Criminal Exploitation Bill

The Child Criminal Exploitation Bill strengthens legal protections for children who are coerced or manipulated into committing crimes by adults. It recognises child criminal exploitation as a distinct form of abuse, making it easier for courts to identify when children are victims rather than perpetrators. The bill introduces new offences for adults who deliberately recruit or exploit children into criminal activity, and provides enhanced sentencing guidelines for such crimes. It also requires frontline services like police and social workers to better identify and support exploited children rather than treating them primarily as offenders.