Child sexual exploitation 'does exist in Guernsey'
SEXUAL grooming of underage teenagers exists in Guernsey, youth leaders have warned, and they are calling for awareness and vigilance of a crime from which that the island is 'not immune' from.
Leading figures from the Youth Commission and young people's charity the HUB said action was being taken to tackle child sexual exploitation. And Guernsey Police, which confirmed the island was not immune, said it had a highly-skilled team of officers to investigate any claims of grooming behaviour.
Its reassurances were given after Youth Commission chairwoman Jane St Pier lifted the lid on how grooming was present in the island.
'It is happening here,' she said. 'There are lots of girls, aged 13 or 14, who are in sexual relationships with men in their 20s.
'This is sex grooming.
'I certainly don't want to scare the Guernsey population that they need to be frightened for their children's safety, but child sexual exploitation (CSE) is an issue that is present in all communities, and there is a presumption that Guernsey is safe and insulated from some of these wider issues.
'As a community, we need to be informed and practitioners need to be vigilant.
'Hence, training and awareness of CSE is very important. Through talking and active listening we can help minimise these issues by making young people aware and giving them the confidence to speak out.'
