Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said:

'The government’s draft Modern Day Slavery Bill is critical to tackling trafficking in the UK and we welcome the Home Secretary’s commitment to this bill.

'But for the fight against this abuse to be truly effective, child victims of trafficking, who are subjected into a range of horrific abuse, including domestic servitude and sexual exploitation, must get the support they need to be kept safe.

'It is vital that these children have someone they can build a relationship with and trust from the moment they are found. The government has an important opportunity to make these children safe by providing all unaccompanied children – including potential victims of trafficking – with guardians.

'Too often, these children are punished rather than protected because they have been found with false papers or forced into a range of illegal work. As a result, some are being sent to adult prisons and immigration detention centres rather than being given safe accommodation with full-time care. This must stop.

'Without guardianship being included in the bill, trafficked children will not get the help they need. It is vital these vulnerable children are treated first and foremost as children in need so they can recover from their abuse in safety and thrive.'

Media enquiries

For more information, please contact Beth Herzfeld in The Children’s Society media team on 020 7841 4422 or 07775 812 357 or email [email protected]  For out-of-hours enquiries please call 07810 796 508.

Editor's note:

To watch a presentation on the work of Anglicans/Episcopalians against human trafficking visit http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/human-trafficking