West Mercia Police recorded more than 300 sexual offences against young children last year

A Freedom of Information request to police forces by the NSPCC has shown that in 2018/19 there were at least 7,618 recorded sexual offences against children aged four to eight nationally, with 303 being recorded by West Mercia Police.

The NSPCC has also revealed that last year hundreds of children under the age of 11 living across the UK contacted Childline about sexual abuse.

In response, the charity is this week relaunching its Talk PANTS campaign, which helps parents with children aged eight and under to have vital conversations about staying safe from sexual abuse.

Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC, said: “It is very concerning that the number of recorded sexual offences against young children is at such a high level and it is vital we do more to help them stay safe from sexual abuse. That is why Talk PANTS is such an important tool for parents as it enables them to have vital conversations with their child in an age appropriate way.”

The charity’s PANTS rules, catchy Pantosaurus song and activity pack help parents find the right words to talk to their children about staying safe. They do not mention the words sex or abuse so it is easier for parents to tackle the sensitive subject.

The NSPCC is encouraging parents to donate to the charity to get the PANTS activity pack and help protect a generation of children from abuse.

See the NSPCC Talk PANTS advert here:

The charity has also produced new videos that show children using the PANTS activities.

Donna-Marie Wright, a mother of seven, is a passionate supporter of the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign.

She said: “I think Talk PANTS is brilliant. I believe it’s essential all parents talk to their children about staying safe from sexual abuse. Many parents may worry that talking to their children about this sensitive subject will be scary and confusing but the PANTS activities help you find the right words.

“There is no mention of sex or abuse and when I’ve used them with my own young children, I’ve found the resources to be incredibly useful.”

Chief Superintendent Kevin Purcell, Policing Lead for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, said: “Children are among some of most vulnerable people in society and we must work together to do all we can to protect them from all forms of abuse.

“We have dedicated teams specially trained to investigate child sexual abuse and I would urge anyone who believes a child they know is a victim to get in contact with us. The NSPCC does some fantastic work to raise awareness of the steps parents and carers can take to help safeguard children and we would encourage parents and carers to find out more about its Talk PANTS campaign.”

Earlier this year is was revealed that the number of child sex offences involving the internet had increased by two thirds in West Mercia.

Last year, a record 8,224 child sexual offences logged by police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had an online element.

For offences where the age was recorded, 13 was the most common age of the victim but there were 185 offences committed against children aged 10 and under, even including babies yet to reach their first birthday.

The NSPCC said it fears that the figures may not reveal the true extent of the problem due to potential under-recording of the role of online activity in the crimes and wide logging variation across forces. It also comes on top of other online harms against children recorded by police such as indecent image offences.

Visit the NSPCC website here