Information about Child Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.035707

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. What is the purpose and role of the Child offenses exploitation and child abuse command?

2. Would the police from this command unit be involved when it is to arrest a parent for breach of a prohibited steps order not to remove a child from the UK? In other words, is it within the scope of duty of the Child offenses exploitation and child abuse command unit?

3. Would the police from this command be involved where accusations of removing a child to a country where terrorism activities take place? Or, in other words, would this be outside of the scope of duty of the child offenses exploitation and child abuse command?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - What is the purpose and role of the Child offenses exploitation and child abuse command?

The MPS do not have a Child Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command. Within Frontline Policing the MPS has Child Abuse Investigation Teams (CAIT) and Child Exploitation Teams (CET).

Q2 - Would the police from this command unit be involved when it is to arrest a parent for breach of a prohibited steps order not to remove a child from the UK? In other words, is it within the scope of duty of the Child offenses exploitation and child abuse command unit?

If the Prohibited Steps Order has a Power of Arrest attached to it, any officer could theoretically make that arrest. The Command referred to does not exist in the MPS. The CAIT Team would deal with parental abduction cases.

Q3 - Would the police from this command be involved where accusations of removing a child to a country where terrorism activities take place? Or, in other words, would this be outside of the scope of duty of the child offenses exploitation and child abuse command?

The Command referred to does not exist in the MPS. CAIT Teams deal with offences of Child Abduction where the person is connected to the child (S1 Abduction Act 1984). Section 2 Abduction Act 1984 – offences committed by a person not connected to the child will be investigated by Local Investigations. Where the abduction is linked to alleged terrorism offences, specialist terrorism investigators could lead the investigation.