Campaigner helps to shape child safety

Campaigning solicitor Steven Walker

AN Oldham campaigner has helped to amend a parliamentary bill to make it more difficult for perpetrators to get away with chid abuse.

Solicitor Steven Walker, from Shaw, has been working with Stockport MP Ann Coffey on the Serious Crime Bill, introduced by the Government last June.

It has already passed each stage in the House of Lords and had its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday. It will next move forward to the committee stage. Among other things, the bill proposes a “Cinderella” law to outlaw causing a child’s emotional distress.

Mr Walker has been working with local authorities and asked various groups for their advice on the effectiveness of current legislation.

Some of the amendments Mr Walker has helped to draft aim to make it more difficult for defendants to argue that an underage girl gave consent in cases of child sexual exploitation.

Another amendment would introduce injunctions against grooming gangs or abusers to protect vulnerable children.

There will also be no difference in the law between perpetrators abusing and grooming children offline and online.

Mr Walker (25) said: “We think we have a strong case to make amendments. The solutions we have come up with are simple to implement. I think any responsible MP will be supportive, but it might be that the government of the day is reluctant to see it amended again.”