Commissioner welcomes publication of the Criminal Justice Inspection NI’s report into child criminal exploitation

“I welcome the publication of the Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland’s important report into child criminal exploitation. The report, ‘An Inspection of Child Criminal Exploitation in Northern Ireland’, reinforces long‑standing and deeply concerning evidence that some of our most vulnerable children are being harmed, groomed and exploited by adults and criminal networks, yet are too often treated as offenders rather than recognised and protected as victims of abuse.

“The report makes clear that child criminal exploitation is not an isolated issue – but a systemic safeguarding failure. Children who are missing, in care, or living with significant adversity, are being exposed to serious harm, while critical opportunities to intervene early and protect them are being missed. It highlights a clear failure to uphold children’s rights as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), including the right to protection from exploitation, abuse and violence – and the fundamental requirement that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in all actions concerning them. These rights are not optional. They are binding international obligations.

“Children must be seen first and foremost as children. They are entitled to protection, care and support – not criminalisation. I urge the Department of Justice, the PSNI and all relevant agencies to act with urgency on the report’s recommendations and to deliver a truly child‑centred, rights‑based response that prevents harm and holds those who exploit children to account.

“The report reinforces my firm belief that the single most impactful action the NI Executive can take for children is the full incorporation of the UNCRC into domestic law. It is a stark reminder of why Incorporation matters. Children’s rights must be embedded in law, policy and practice, so that systems are designed to protect children from harm, to listen to their voices, and to ensure that no child is failed by the systems meant to safeguard them.”

CJI report in full, key facts, and infographics here ➡️ https://www.cjini.org/reports/an-inspection-of-child-criminal-exploitation-in-northern-ireland/