Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support is available from (a) the police and (b) other organisations to victims of grooming and sexual exploitation following (i) Operation Optic in Newcastle and (ii) other examples of failed prosecutions.

Following Operation Optic agencies including Northumbria Police committed to a multi-agency action plan to ensure safeguarding and ongoing support to victims, including the provision of dedicated support officers and the offer of bespoke counselling.

The Government wants to ensure that all victims of sexual abuse and exploitation get the support they need, whether they are a child or an adult. We provide funding for victim support services across the country, which victims can access throughout their lifetime, whether they are involved in a criminal justice process or not.

In 2018/19, the Ministry of Justice allocated almost £1.7m to Northumbria PCC to provide support to victims in the area, including £116K specifically for services supporting victims of child sexual abuse. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice directly allocated around £272,600 to four services in Northumbria providing specialist support to victims of sexual violence.