Familial abuse accounts for around two-thirds of all child sexual abuse, although the true figure may be higher due to under-reporting. It covers abuse perpetrated by a family member, including a child or adult sibling, or by a person close to, or known to, the family.
A joint-targeted area inspection, focused on six local authority areas across England, has highlighted a number of shortcomings.
The problems centre around ineffective criminal investigations as well as an absence of preventative education work and training for professionals in spotting the signs.
The investigation report – which has been published by Ofsted, HMICFRS, the Care Quality Commission and HMI Probation – says that professionals are relying “too heavily on children to speak out about abuse”.
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