Police probe 5 child cruelty cases a week

FIVE cases of child cruelty are being reported to Lothian and Borders Police every week, new figures revealed today.

Officers were alerted to 262 cases between last April and March - compared with 152 instances of cruelty and neglect against youngsters reported five years ago.

Police and youth charities said the willingness of members of the public to report suspected abuse following a spate of high-profile incidents was a factor in the rising number of cases in recent years.

The reported cases do not necessarily involve physical cruelty to a child and can include instances where a youngster was left unsupervised at home.

Children exposed to criminal activity, such as shoplifting, and being in the care of adults who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs are included in the tally. Police also highlighted closer working partnerships with agencies such as the city council for identifying more cases of alleged cruelty.

Gavin Brown, Lothians Tory MSP, said: "This is clearly 262 cases of child cruelty too many. While the number of cases is slightly down on the 272 from the year before, it is still the second-highest figure from the last decade and part of a worrying rising trend.

"The Scottish Government and the relevant agencies need to work together to do everything possible to reduce child cruelty cases effectively."

Kate Higgins, policy manager for charity Children 1st, said: "The latest statistics may indicate an increased level of awareness and willingness of the public to report their concerns if they feel a child is being harmed. However, despite increased awareness of child abuse and attempts to tighten up on child protection procedures, there are still far too many children in every community in Scotland suffering from abuse and neglect every day.

"We often find that, in some of the high-profile cases we have seen over the years, people within the community were aware or suspected that a child was being abused or neglected but they did not act upon their concerns.

"People within the community have a huge and important role to play in protecting the children that they see or know and with their vigilance and co-operation we can reduce child abuse cases even further."