Welcome to this insightful podcast brought to you by Alan Collins, the head of the abuse team at Hugh James. As he explores the current stance on child abuse reporting, he dives into the necessity of mandatory reporting and the implications of non-enforcement. Alan underscores the need for a law that requires individuals aware of child abuse to report the incident to the police or relevant authorities.

Alan discerns the substantial gaps in the existing system, noting that the majority of Western countries have enforcement laws, but a large portion have no legal obligation to report child abuse. He refers to a publicized Home Office announcement, revealing the introduction of new legal requirements for those in positions of responsibility to report known child sexual abuse.

Through the discussion, Alan expresses his concerns about the current arrangements. He encourages rigorous reporting of any suspicions or concerns about child abuse, stating that waiting until after abuse has been confirmed equates to shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Drawing from experience, Alan elaborates on the real-world repercussions of neglecting to report child abuse and observes the lack of accountability evident in public failure. As a solution, he advocates for the establishment of more effective mandatory reporting laws that would bring about significant culture changes, minimizing future instances of abuse.

Alan concludes the podcast by voicing his intention to bring up this issue again at Parliament in the following month and continues to hope for decisive strides in establishing more beneficial laws governing mandatory reporting of child abuse. He makes the point that these laws should cover a wide range of adults working with children and not be exclusive to teachers and health professionals.

If you found this podcast informative, and wish to share thoughts, questions or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out. We, at Hugh James, are always open to hearing what you have to say. Thank you for your time!