At least 25 child rape reports a week are handled by police forces in the North East and North Yorkshire, The Northern Echo found.

Child rape cases have more than tripled since recording began a decade ago - but every year, hundreds of survivors withdraw from criminal investigations.

And last year, just 11 per cent of cases resulted in a charge or summons to court.

Read more: 25 child rape reports a week in the North East and North Yorkshire

Charities working with abused children say the Government must do more to provide specialist support throughout the criminal justice process.

Here’s what they said.

The Northern Echo:

Lynn Perry MBE, CEO of Barnardo’s

“Children who have experienced sexual abuse often miss out on the timely, specialist support they need to recover and move towards a positive future.

“This support is especially important in empowering young victims to report these horrific crimes, and to cope during the police investigation and court case that may follow.

“The Government’s planned Victims’ Bill offers the opportunity to improve access to these critical services, and Barnardo’s has called for a legal requirement for this support to be available in all local areas. This must be a key priority for the next Prime Minister.”

 

Pierre Hyman, senior policy and public affairs officer at the NSPCC

Pierre Hyman said improved reporting methods may have contributed to a rise in reports of child rape, but said the increase was “obviously highly concerning”.

He added: “The low charge rate is also concerning. We understand that some victims can feel so traumatised by the experience of a legal investigation and the lack of support available during this period, that they feel they cannot go through with a trial.

“The NSPCC is calling for the Government to ensure the Victims Bill will give child victims guaranteed access to support even where they make no contact at all with the criminal justice system.

Read more: Police speak out about child rape in the North East

“We know that sexual abuse can have devastating effects on a child, which could last into their adult life, and we would urge anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, no matter when it happened or who the perpetrator was, to speak out and seek support.”

Adults with concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child can phone the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

The Northern Echo:

Sian Meader, Head of Clinical Services (children and young people) at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s Stop It Now! helpline

“Each offence is a child harmed. Children who are sexually abused come from all backgrounds, as do the people who abuse them. Many more are sexually abused, without it coming to the attention of authorities.

“There are multiple barriers to disclosure for child victims of sexual abuse. This could be as simple as not understanding the abuse, or not having the skills to communicate what has happened to them.

“Sometimes the grooming process means that children do not recognise that they are being abused. 

“Other times children are frightened to disclose, because of threats made to them or family members by the abuser; worry that they will not be believed or even concerned about what might happen to them and their loved ones if they speak out. 

“These fears are on top of all the possible shame and stigma that make it difficult to talk about abusive experiences.

“For many children, it can feel safer to stay in the abusive environment, than face the unknown consequences of telling someone about their abuse. 

“These consequences can become real after making an initial disclosure with intervention from the police/social service, sometimes leading to big changes in their life (removed from their home, changing schools or having contact with family members disrupted).

“On top of all this, the child may be subjected to invasive questioning and forensic examinations. This process can feel overwhelming for the child and often leads to childing retracting disclosures as a way to cope.

“We also know that trauma has a big impact on children's abilities to communicate their experience of abuse. 

“They might struggle with recalling details of the abuse, timescales and other information that our legal system might rely on as evidence to build a case.

“When there isn’t other supportive evidence, this can have a large impact on the likelihood of a case progressing to court.”

Ms Meader said the way adults respond to disclosures is vital, with children needing to feel believed, supported and protected.

She said professionals should be trained in trauma-informed practice, with a sense of safety vital to create for children sharing their experience of abuse.

 

Abuse can be reported by contacting the police, children’s social services teams or online via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.

To get confidential support about what to do if you suspect abuse, contact the Stop It Now! helpline or the NSPCC helpline.

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.