Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England said:
“The exploitation of children for sex is a horrific crime which must be stopped and this is why I am a strong supporter of the National Awareness Day. Survivors and victims need to be provided with proper support to overcome their experiences; perpetrators need to be pursued and brought to justice; and professionals trained in identifying the signs.
“As part of its inquiry into child sexual exploitation, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner developed and published the ‘See Me Hear Me’ framework which makes organisations working with children always focus on their needs when addressing exploitation. We have commissioned the University of Sussex to evaluate a pilot of the framework in Oxfordshire, Sandwell and Brighton and Hove and are committed to publishing results as soon as we can so that others may learn from them and determine what is most effective. I am determined to see child sexual exploitation and abuse tackled and will make doing so a high priority during my term as Children’s Commissioner.”