A report published today, 25 February 2026, by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland has revealed that the criminal justice system's approach to child criminal exploitation is inconsistent and frequently inadequate.

Following the publication, Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin has demanded increased efforts to safeguard children from this form of abuse and to better comprehend the scale of the issue across Northern Ireland.

Ms Durkin described child criminal exploitation as a long-standing but growing concern that robs children of their youth. She noted that the abuse occurs when individuals—including parents, trusted figures, or those using fear—coerce children into criminal activity.

"Child criminal exploitation in our community is not a recent issue but is of increasing concern. It is child abuse and simply put, it is where someone uses a child to engage in criminal activity or to commit any type of crime and can take many forms. When that abuse involves criminal exploitation and the abuser is their parent, a trusted individual or someone they fear, the harm caused to that child can take a lifetime to recover from. It can rob them of their childhood," said Ms Durkin.

The Chief Inspector highlighted that children in care or those who frequently go missing are particularly vulnerable to recruitment by organised crime gangs and paramilitaries. She warned that these children often end up with criminal records that damage their future prospects, health, and education.

While a formal definition of child criminal exploitation has been developed by the Departments of Justice, Health, and Education, Ms Durkin stressed that this must be urgently integrated into frontline service delivery. Inspectors expressed deep concern regarding the resources available to the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) Public Protection Branch. The report found that the PSNI lacked a clear delivery model and that frontline staff often lacked the necessary training to identify and disrupt exploiters. Furthermore, case reviews indicated that children were frequently treated as suspects rather than victims, with safeguarding referrals often delayed.

Regarding the police response to missing children, Ms Durkin said: "Inspectors also found evidence and examples within case file reviews around the PSNI's response to missing children that required immediate escalation and did not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the relationship between child exploitation and missing children reports."

The inspection found that many missing episodes were incorrectly recorded as "concerns for safety," and some records even contained victim-blaming language. Consequently, Inspectors have recommended that the PSNI immediately enhance its monitoring of missing children reports and develop a properly resourced model to tackle exploitation.

The report also identified a technical failure to track the issue, noting a lack of specific "flags" or markers on the computer systems used by the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). This deficit makes it difficult to assess how many children have been assisted or how many offenders have been prosecuted.

To address this, Ms Durkin has recommended that the Department of Justice (DoJ) create a strategic framework within the next six months to baseline how the system handles these cases.

Reflecting on the findings, Ms Durkin concluded: "This Inspection Report makes for concerning reading. While pockets of good practice including the use of multi-agency support hubs and targeted interventions were identified, based on the evidence gathered and considered during this inspection, Inspectors concluded outcomes for children who had experienced or were at risk of child criminal exploitation were not good."

She added: "We need to see children as children, protect them from harm and vigorously pursue those who are exploiting them and robbing them of their childhood. This is not a drama storyline – this is the work of all of us and there is no time to waste."