Child exploitation: Police to tackle 'under-reported' crime

PC Williams handing leaflets to taxi drivers

There are hopes a new educational campaign will lead to more child sexual exploitation cases being reported.

Gwent Police is concerned "warning signs" that could leave children vulnerable are widely under-reported.

Operation Makesafe has been running sessions with schools, hotels and taxi firms to give staff the confidence to report concerns.

Teachers said the campaign would help "children understand they can talk about their issues".

The campaign has been based on the experiences of the force's missing children team, which found young people who ran away from home were often at high risk of sexual exploitation.

It aims to make people aware of what may be happening to children, so police can be alerted sooner, such as:

• The behaviour of people travelling together, especially if there are adults with young people

• Adults putting a young person, who may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, into a taxi

• Young people who look concerned or frightened in the company of adults

• Young people being picked up and taken to hotels

Det Sgt Louisa Wilson is the lead for Operation Makesafe

Det Sgt Louisa Wilson said: "We get reports that people are actually being abused but the early warning signs are the things we need to look out for.

"It is definitely under-reported and I hope, through this operation, that we will see a rise in the reports."

She said warning signs could be when young people went missing or started drinking or using drugs, hanging around with older people or changing groups of friends.

'Tell someone before it's too late'

BBC Wales spoke to Jade, not her real name, who lives in south Wales.

She said when she was 12 she considered an 18-year-old man to be her boyfriend.

"Obviously when I was 12 and he was 18 it was really wrong," she said.

"My mum [had] seen the signs and tried to explain to me how wrong it was... but I just ignored her, thinking she was just trying to be horrible.

"I thought my mum hated me at the time, but I know she just wanted what was best for me.

"If you can point out the signs and you can see the signs you're better off telling someone before it's too late.

"I do think it would make a difference if the missing people's team got involved sooner."

Det Con Katie Dorrian works with Operation Caught, the child sexual exploitation unit of Gwent Police.

"It's about building their confidence and working with them - not just discussing the police part of it but their health, their education.

"If children do go missing I visit them after most incidents... we try to offer help with drug and alcohol abuse issues, try to build up a rapport with them and try to reassure them that I am here, I will come back."

Ian Humpage, assistant head teacher at St Joseph's Roman Catholic High School, Newport, said it was important to "bolster" trust between teaching staff and vulnerable pupils.

"We have to think about the trials and tribulations that boys and girls bring to school and the communities that they come from," he said.

"It's a case of building a culture and making pupils and staff aware that there's a firm line of communication, that we need to communicate on a regular basis and any issues are reported to the right people."