Important Facts of the News
- The UK government plans to expunge unjust child prostitution convictions and cautions made before 2015.
- The measure is part of the Crime and Policing Bill tabled on 4 November 2025.
- Convictions under loitering and soliciting laws for those aged under 18 will be nullified automatically.
- Hundreds of people are expected to benefit from the disregard and pardon scheme.
- This action follows recommendations in the Baroness Casey review of grooming gangs.
- The scheme will begin once the Crime and Policing Bill receives royal assent.
- Victims and survivors won’t need to apply for pardons—it will be processed automatically.
- NAPAC has welcomed the reforms as a step toward survivor justice.
- The government has accepted all 12 recommendations from the grooming gangs review.
- The term ‘child prostitution’ was formally removed from UK law in 2015.
Government Moves to Redress Historic Injustice
The UK government has announced significant new changes to the Crime and Policing Bill that will finally clear the records of individuals wrongfully convicted for so-called ‘child prostitution’ offences. The move, revealed on 4 November 2025, aims to undo decades of injustice inflicted on children who were subjected to sexual exploitation yet treated as offenders rather than survivors.
Automatic Pardoning for Former Child Victims
The proposed amendments will automatically remove criminal records for offences involving loitering and soliciting for prostitution committed by those under the age of 18. These convictions occurred before 2015, when the concept of child prostitution was finally removed from UK legislation. Once the Bill is enacted and provisions take effect, these pardons will happen without survivors needing to make applications.
Addressing Damage from Past Laws
For many, these unjust records have been a lifelong source of distress, hindering access to employment, education, and social opportunities. The government acknowledged that while children were punished for crimes they were coerced into, the adult perpetrators of exploitation frequently evaded justice. The new measures aim to bring closure to hundreds of affected individuals.
Response from Advocacy and Government Leaders
Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, emphasised that those who suffered exploitation “deserve support, not a criminal record”. The revision was also backed by Gabrielle Shaw, head of the National Association of People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), who called it “a positive step toward survivor-centred justice”. NAPAC highlighted that recognition and validation are central to healing for survivors.
Linked to Grooming Gangs Review
The changes directly address a recommendation from the Baroness Casey review of grooming gangs, published in June. The government has pledged to act on all 12 recommendations from that report. Today’s amendment represents one of the first major steps toward systemic change.
Path Toward Survivor-Focused Justice
With this reform, the government aims to ensure that those once criminalised for their own abuse are now recognised as survivors. The automatic pardoning process signals a clear shift in the approach towards child exploitation cases in the UK, placing the needs and dignity of survivors at the forefront.