Subject: Urgent Concerns Regarding Child Protection, Domestic Abuse Failures, and Policy Undermining
Dear Cabinet,
Where is Emily?
Emily’s situation reflects fundamental failures in how child protection systems respond, especially for children in the care system with complex needs. In 2025, official reviews like Casey’s and domestic abuse investigations underscore the urgent requirement for transparent, personalized safeguarding, and genuine systemic change across healthcare, social services, and policy frameworks.
According to the article available at this OpenDemocracy link, nearly 400,000 children in England and Wales have been officially identified as at risk of domestic abuse over the past five years. However, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner states the true figure may be closer to 800,000. Within that period, 396 children have died.
Senior investigative journalist Sian Norris has exposed the extent to which vital protections promised by the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act are being severely undermined due to inaction, underfunding, and repeated failures to act on warnings.
US Sanctions on ICC Judges: A Case of Selective Justice
On 5 June, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including asset freezes and travel bans to the US. These judges – from Benin, Peru, Slovenia, and Uganda – had issued arrest warrants in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and senior Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh for alleged war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
This action by the US government, once again, demonstrates a pattern of undermining multilateral justice whenever investigations challenge powerful states or their allies. The US has long resisted the jurisdiction of the ICC, notably threatening sanctions and revoking visas in 2020 when the Court investigated American military conduct in Afghanistan. The recent sanctions confirm the return of that same obstructive strategy – now with increased aggression.
County Lines, Cuckooing, and the Failure of Child Protection
The number of British children identified as potential victims of county lines trafficking has increased sharply since 2015. In 2024 alone, 1,845 individuals (mostly boys) were identified by the state as possible victims — making up 10% of all modern slavery referrals that year.
However, this figure likely represents only a fraction of those affected. As the Crime and Policing Bill advances and cuckooing is proposed as a new criminal offence, serious concerns are being raised. Measures intended to protect vulnerable youth risk instead criminalising exploited children. Furthermore, the recent authorisation of pepper spray (PAVA) in young offender institutions brings renewed fears for the safety and wellbeing of incarcerated children.
SPACE has provided commentary on how county lines exploitation continues to devastate families — and how current state responses are contributing to the harm. The full interview is available via BTS.
I trust this information underscores the severity of the interlinked crises facing children, justice, climate policy, and government accountability. I await your response as to how the Cabinet intends to address these escalating failures.
Where is Emily?
Read the full interview here.
thestealingofemily.co.uk 
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