Children and Young People Now reports on the situation of children used as police spies, exposing them to continuous risks and harmful situations.
There has been a major disagreement between Home Office in revising its policy on using children as police spies only under exceptional circumstances, and the point of view of Just for Kids Law, which says that despite the revision “children can still be put in extremely dangerous situations, [leading them to be] abused and exploited.”
Just for Kids Law, a charity organization that provides advocacy and legal assistance to children, has taken legal action to demand an end to the use of children as police spies. But, the case has been considered settled due to the revision of the code, which included putting children’s interests first and providing “an approporiate adult, such as a health professional or social worker” for minors involved in these covert activities.
The increased attention towards these policies aimed to put an end to placing children in dangerous situations, and the harmful consequences they suffer after facing risk first-hand. The charity's ultimate goal is to amend the regulations so that they eliminate any possibility of putting children in harm's way.
Unfortunately, previous evidence supports the claim of Just for Kids Law, since there are numerous cases where child spies were involved in gang activities or became victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. In order to protect children from these unnatural situations, stricter and more reliable safeguards must be set up and maintained.