Phones that may hold child abuse images returned to suspects

Child safeguarding at risk as police say lack of technology and time limits prevent device checks

Police are giving back to suspected paedophiles phones and computers that possibly hold child abuse images because they do not have the time or technology to search the devices, a report says.

Prosecutions are being dropped because the technology that helps officers quickly scan devices to determine the likelihood of indecent images being present is not consistently available across forces, a policing watchdog finds.

Officers were not looking into the wider circumstances or risks faced by children reported as missing, including cases where children had been reported missing more than 30 times.

Children were still likely to be prosecuted despite clear evidence of coercion in too many areas, including for offences relating to county lines (drugs), so reducing the chances of safeguarding measures being put in place.

Too many children were being detained in police stations.

Risk to children in domestic abuse cases was not properly or well enough understood.

The system of child protection was unsustainable and more resourcing was needed, not just in policing, to help support and protect vulnerable children.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2Tjserd