xviii. Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
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Investigators need access to specialist capabilities and assistance from resources held at force and regional level, and prioritising modern slavery at strategic level assists with this.
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Investigator and First Responder training is effective, but requires application in practice to embed confidence and skill. MSHTxviii experts and single points of contact can bolster the level of expertise in a force, but the workload on a few experts can be overwhelming.’ 228
The experience for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation going through the criminal justice system is often long 229 and strenuous, and victims can often be left retraumatised by the process itself. In fact, some have reported that the court process can be more traumatic than the exploitation.230 Contrary to what some may assume, the UNICEF scoping report into child sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking, found no evidence of the therapeutic benefit of prosecution of offenders for the recovery of child victims.231 Although investigations are highly important, there is a common misconception that a criminal justice process will result in closure for the victim. Statutory defence under section 45 In modern slavery investigations, there can often be confusion over who is a perpetrator and who is a victim; particularly with regards to CCE, as victims may commit an offence as a result of their exploitation. The possession of drugs with intent to supply (PWITS) can carry serious ramifications if it leads to a conviction, and this is common practice in the county lines model of exploitation. A coordinated response is needed from children’s services, the police, education, criminal justice, judiciary and youth services to prevent and recognise children who may be forced to commit such offences as a result of CCE.232 The statutory defence under section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act protects individuals compelled to commit a crime as a consequence of their being trafficked, who will not be prosecuted for their actions. This does not apply to the most serious crimes, including sexual offences or offences involving 83
