Why, if adult grooming is legal (in the UK at least), should the police have anything to do with it? Why would anyone be reporting?
Firstly, for complex reasons which we’ll address later this week, the crime of ‘rape by deception’/’obtaining sex by deception’ had been rendered almost useless by a UK judge, leaving people (especially women) unprotected. We hope that this will reverse and are aware of test cases being prepared.
Secondly, groomers rarely commit just one crime. They will often harass any victim who speaks up; they will often turn the law on their victims; sometimes they will stalk their prey. Sometimes their grooming targets are vulnerable adults (who ARE afforded some protection under the law). If their goal is their target’s children, there may be paedophile related crimes to report. And if their goal is financial, there may be theft/financial crimes to report.
It is therefore vital for the police to understand grooming as the first stage leading to a crime, and how the victims may be feeling/what they need.
CAAGe: The Campaign Against Adult Grooming 