Thousands of children trafficked from Vietnam to the UK are suffering horrendous exploitation and abuse in transit through Europe as different governments pass the buck on protecting them, according to new research by Anti-Slavery International, ECPAT UK and Pacific Links Foundation. The report, Precarious Journeys: Mapping Vulnerabilities of Victims of Trafficking from Vietnam to Europe, traces the journeys made by Vietnamese children and adults to the UKRead more
The landmark Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) investigation made public evidence about the failures of the UK’s institutions, policies and practices to protect children abroad from sexual abuse by its citizens. ECPAT UK provided crucial evidence on these failures that meant UK citizens and those with links to England and Wales were able to travel abroad and sexually exploit children with impunity.Read more
There was a dramatic increase in the number of potential child victims of trafficking identified in the UK last year, raising concerns about UK authorities’ ability to respond to rising numbers of victims in light of potential reductions in support.Read more
On Monday, 11th February, ECPAT UK to give expert evidence before the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) on the protection of children abroad from sexual exploitation by those with links to England and WalesRead more
ECPAT UK has today announced solicitor Silvia Nicolaou Garcia as the recipient of the 2018 Children’s Champion award.Read more
Two leading UK charities, ECPAT UK and Missing People, have released a new report warning that trafficked and unaccompanied children are 30 times more likely to go missing than other children their age. Additionally, in 2017, trafficked and unaccompanied children went missing from care on average 7 times, highlighting grave safeguarding failures on the part of local authorities.Read more
More than 30 child rights NGOs, including ECPAT UK, ECPAT International and eight ECPAT member groups have written to EU President Junckers expressing concern over the wording of the draft Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications (e-Privacy Regulation), currently under consideration in Brussels. The NGOs are concerned the new regulation could hamper efforts to track online child sex offenders and identify victims.Read more
ECPAT UK is once again partnering with the Refugee Council to deliver training to over 1,000 foster carers and support workers in accommodation placements in England. The 'caring for separated and trafficked children' training programme will equip those with caring duties for unaccompanied and trafficked children with the knowledge and tools to effectively protect these vulnerable children.Read more
Young victims of trafficking marked Anti-Slavery Day 2018 by delivering a 120,535 strong petition to the UK Government demanding guaranteed specialist support for trafficked children.Read more
On Wednesday, 17th October 2018, ECPAT UK will join partners from across Europe to participate in a ‘Day of Action’ for unaccompanied and separated children, as part of the cross-border Safeguarding Migrant Children Across Europe (AMINA) project.Read more
Thousands of children put at risk of trafficking by the UK Government’s lack of plan to prevent it, says new report by the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group - a group of organisations including ECPAT UK.Read more
Sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector has been an ‘open secret’ among humanitarian organisations, with individuals who report abuse continually ‘silenced and ostracised’, according to a new report by the International Development Committee which drew on evidence submitted by ECPAT UK.Read more
ECPAT UK has been granted core participant status in the Protection of Children Outside the United Kingdom investigation held by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).Read more
Our latest research, Child trafficking in the UK 2018: A snapshot, exposes the limitations of the government’s response to child victims of trafficking and highlights the need for a new, child-centred approach.Read more
ECPAT UK heralds the UK government’s long-awaited ratification of the Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse in the UK and abroad.Read more
A new e-handbook on modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labour features ECPAT UK and more than 50 other experts from across the Commonwealth. The handbook was produced by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as a comprehensive guide for legislating against crimes related to modern slavery.Read more
Following recent reports on the rise of children exploited for criminality, ECPAT UK’s Head of Training Laura Durán, was recently interviewed by Lynda Gibbs from the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA) to discuss the complex nature of criminal exploitation and ECPAT UK's work campaigning against child trafficking.Read more
ECPAT UK (Every Child Protected Against Trafficking) is thrilled that its animated short film about child trafficking in cannabis cultivation – The Secret Gardeners, has won the gold medal in the Human Concerns category at the New York Festivals World’s Best TV and Films awards.Read more
ECPAT UK has released a new film. ‘Behind the Behaviour: identifying the criminal exploitation of migrant children’ highlights how migrant children who are criminally exploited may not be easily recognised as victims by frontline services in the UK.Read more
ECPAT UK is once again working with the UK’s leading travel association, ABTA, to ensure staff in the travel and tourism industry are trained to identify and respond to child protection concerns.Read more
ECPAT UK is calling on the UK Government to do more to protect child victims of modern slavery after the latest official statistics from the NCA showed a huge 66% rise in the number of children identified as potential victims during 2017.Read more
ECPAT UK’s Trafficked Girls’ Group Assistant, Temi Adekoya, has won the Young Leader of the Year award at London Youth’s annual award ceremony celebrating young people making outstanding contributions to their communities.Read more
Up to 1,000 children may have been abused in Telford, with victims as young as 11 years old suffering sexual exploitation. The scandal highlights endemic failings in how we respond to child abuse and underlines the need for better training, multi-agency working and adequate resourcing of frontline care servicesRead more
ECPAT UK is delighted to announce Katherine Mulhern as the new Chair of ECPAT UK – a leading child rights charity working to protect children from trafficking, abuse and exploitation. Katherine takes over from Ian Hanham who stood down last month. Ian will continue to serve on the board as a Trustee.Read more
The Oxfam scandal exposed the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children by foreign aid workers, highlighting the endemic child abuse being committed internationally. Greater transparency, accountability and safeguarding measures must be implemented by governments, charities, businesses and individuals to prevent international child exploitation.Read more
British national, Matthew Falder, was jailed today for 32 years after admitting 137 charges of online sexual exploitation against children and adults in the UK and internationally. Falder used the anonymity of the dark web to trick and blackmail victims into providing footage of sexually abusive acts, deliberately targeting young and vulnerable victims. It is a 'watershed moment' for the policing and prosecution of transnational abuse of children online.Read more