News

The Metropolitan Police received training from our Director of Services, Lawrence Jordan, and Victim and Survivor Advocate, Megan Hinton.

Staff members working for the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Team attended the professional development training days which focused on the impact of technology-assisted child sexual abuse on victims and survivors. Police Officers and Detective Constables were able to learn about common trauma responses for children, the difference between discovery vs disclosure and how the professional response can impact both positively and negatively on the recovery journey.

A large section of the training also centred around the impact of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA) on victims and survivors, and why having images and videos taken as part of the abuse causes additional harm. The aim of these sessions was to allow officers the opportunity to gain insight into what it is like for the victims and survivors at the heart of their investigations.  

Drawing on personal lived experience and the collective voice of MCF’s Lived Experience Group, our Victim and Survivor Advocate was able to convey to officers the importance of empathy, accessible information and continued communication throughout the investigation process. She highlighted how frightening the lack of control can feel during the criminal justice proceedings, emphasising how officers must find ways to involve families in their decision making.

Feedback from the sessions was extremely positive with one attendee saying: “I just wanted to say it was one of the best, most useful, most inspiring inputs I have ever had as an officer.”