Professionals who fail to protect children from abuse could face up to five years in jail under tough new proposed laws.

Social workers, teachers, police and councillors could be charged with “wilful neglect” if they fail to stop child sex abuse, David Cameron will say.

The Prime Minister will also declare the issue a “national threat” - meaning the police will have to treat it with the same urgency as serious and organised crime.

Other measures to be unveiled at a Downing Street summit include the creation of a new national whistleblowing hotline and a duty on all councils in England to draw up a long-term plan to tackle child sex abuse in their area.

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The package is being brought in following the Rotherham scandal which saw 1,400 children sexually exploited over a 16-year period.

Mr Cameron will tell the summit that victims were “appallingly let down” by “warped sense of political correctness”.

He will pledge to “eradicate” the “culture of denial” which existed in some areas.
Scandal: 1,400 children were sexually exploited over a 16-year period in Rotherham

This will see the police, NHS and local authorities join forces to launch new joint inspections. There will also be additional £7million to support survivors of sex abuse.

And the Government will pledge to claw back pay-offs made to council staff who failed to protect children but then go on to be employed elsewhere.

The offence of “wilful neglect” was introduced for NHS staff in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal. Ministers will now consult on similar measures fro those who fail to prevent child abuse with maximum a penalty of five years in jail or an unlimited fine.

The No10 meeting will bring together Rotherham’s Labour MP Sarah Champion, the new children’s commissioner Anne Longfield, police commissioners, council chiefs and leading members of the Government including Home Secretary Theresa May, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

Mr Cameron will say: “We have all been appalled at the abuse suffered by so many young girls in Rotherham and elsewhere across the country. Children were ignored, sometimes even blamed, and issues were swept under the carpet – often because of a warped and misguided sense of political correctness. That culture of denial which let them down so badly must be eradicated.”
Not enough: Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wants even more to be done to combat child abuse

He will add: “Today, I am sending an unequivocal message that professionals who fail to protect children will be held properly accountable and council bosses who preside over such catastrophic failure will not see rewards for that failure.

“Offenders must no longer be able to use the system to hide their despicable activities and survivors of child sexual abuse must be given the long-term therapeutic treatment they need to re-build their lives.

“But it is not just about introducing new policies. It is about making sure that the professionals we charge with protecting our children – the council staff, police officer and social workers – do the jobs they are paid to do.

“We owe it to our children, and to the children who survive horrific sexual abuse, to do better and ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated again.”

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We all agree we need a stronger child protection system. But these changes don’t go far enough.”