Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, has secured a statutory definition for child criminal exploitation (CCE), following years of campaigning. This comes after Champion’s amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill to better protect criminally exploited children.

“The Casey report confirms what many of us have feared for years; the appalling abuse of children that occurred in Rotherham was by no means unique.’

‘No one can say they are shocked by this report.  Child sexual exploitation by gangs, at scale and following a near identical pattern, has been exposed across the country for years. Had those in authority listened to the victims, this vile crime may have been dealt with before it became a national epidemic. The fact victims and survivors were ignored, belittled and even criminalised should be to all of our eternal shame.’ 

Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, called on the Government to provide more ‘Space to Grow’ in this week’s Parliamentary debate on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. 

As part of her campaign with the Royal Horticultural Society, National Allotment Society, Horticultural Trade Association and members of the National Community Garden Network, Champion urged the Government to adopt her legal change and provide more land for allotments and community gardens.