1. Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained updated August 1 2025
Source: Department of Science, Innovation and Technology published on this site Monday 4 August 2025.

The way children experience the internet has fundamentally changed, as new laws under the Online Safety Act have come into force to protect under-18s from harmful online content they shouldn’t ever be seeing. This includes content relating to:

• pornography
• self-harm
• suicide
• eating disorder content

Ofcom figures show that children as young as 8 have accessed pornography online, while 16% of teenagers have seen material that stigmatises body types or promotes disordered eating in the last 4 weeks.   

To protect the next generation from the devastating impact of this content, people now have to prove their age to access pornography or this other harmful material on social media and other sites.    

Platforms are required to use secure methods like facial scans, photo ID and credit cards checks to verify the age of their users. This means it will be much harder for under-18s to accidentally or intentionally access harmful content. 

Data privacy
While people might see more steps to prove their age when signing up or browsing age-restricted content, they won’t be compromising their privacy.    

The measures platforms have to put in place must confirm your age without collecting or storing personal data, unless absolutely necessary. For example, facial estimation tools can estimate your age from an image without saving that image or identifying who you are. Many third-party solutions have the ability to provide platforms with an answer to the question of whether a user is over 18, without sharing any additional data relating to the user’s identity. 

The government and the regulator, Ofcom, are clear that platforms must use safe, proportionate and secure methods, and any company that misuses personal data or doesn’t protect users could face heavy penalties.

Services must also comply with the UK’s data protection laws. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has set out the main data protection principles that services must take into account in the context of age assurance, including minimising personal data which is collected for these purposes.  

Virtual Private Networks
While Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are legal in the UK, according to this law, platforms have a clear responsibility to prevent children from bypassing safety protections. This includes blocking content that promotes VPNs or other workarounds specifically aimed at young users.

This means that where platforms deliberately target UK children and promote VPN use, they could face enforcement action, including significant financial penalties.  

The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) reports that there have been an additional 5 million age checks on a daily basis as UK-based internet users seek to access sites that are age-restricted.

2. Organisations must prepare now for new fraud prevention law

Large organisations across England and Wales need to finalise preparations for a new fraud prevention law that came into force on 1 September 2025. The reminder comes as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) published joint updated guidance for prosecutors around dealing with corporate prosecutions.

The new "failure to prevent fraud" offence will make large organisations legally responsible for preventing fraud committed by their employees and other associated persons. This means businesses, charities and other organisations could face prosecution if they don't have proper fraud prevention procedures in place, which will in turn encourage better corporate behaviour.

The Home Office last year published advice to help organisations understand what they need to do to prepare for the new law. This includes putting in place systems and training to prevent fraud happening in the first place.

The updated guidance to prosecutors also covers changes to the ‘identification doctrine’ already in force under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which introduced a broader definition of who could be considered responsible for a company's actions.

These changes make it easier to hold organisations to account legally for economic crimes committed by senior managers.

The change in the law came following the Law Commission’s review of corporate criminal liability. The CPS and SFO worked closely with other parts of Government to call for an expansion of the existing ‘failure to prevent’ law to wider economic crime.

The CPS and SFO encourage organisations to report fraud when they discover it. Organisations that self-report fraud demonstrate their commitment to responsible corporate governance.

Self-reports can be made to the Serious Fraud Office, regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority, or local police forces.

Education
1. Keeping children safe in education Statutory guidance for schools and colleges, with effect from 1st September 2025, sets out the legal duties that must be followed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges. It applies to all schools and colleges, and is for headteachers, teachers, all staff, governing bodies, proprietors and management committees. There is a link to the revised Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance, see more information below, and it is expected there will also be new guidance on gender for questioning children and young people.

There are technical only changes to KCSIE 2025 and future versions will reflect the progress into legislation of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, emerging further learnings from the work of the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and subsequent inquiries, future work on tackling violence against women and girls.

Annex F has a Table of changes from KCSIE September 2024 version.

2. Government publishes Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education

The statutory guidance has a new focus on helping boys identify positive role models, and challenge myths about women and relationships that are spread online in the ‘manosphere’ - without stigmatising boys for being boys.

Secondary schools will also now include lessons on incel culture, including how a piece of content online can impact a person’s understanding of sexual ethics and behaviour, as well as increasing awareness of AI, deepfakes and how pornography links to misogyny.

It comes as new data published today shows misogynistic attitudes have reached epidemic scale by the end of secondary school. When asked to think about just the past week, over a third (37%) of pupils aged 11-19 had heard comments that made them concerned about the safety of girls, and over half (54%) said they had witnessed comments they would describe as misogynistic.

Other additions to the curriculum include spiking and methanol poisoning, increased focus on resilience and coping, a strengthened health syllabus so children are equipped with necessary knowledge on women’s health such as endometriosis and fertility.

Additional new content for secondary schools includes:

• Sexual ethics beyond consent, for example teaching young people that yes doesn’t always mean yes as factors like peer pressure should be taken into account
• Staying safe in public spaces, to match staying safe online, so young people know how to increase their personal safety in public spaces, build confidence in trusting their instincts and learn ways to seek help
• Financial exploitation
• Positive conceptions of femininity and masculinity

A strong new emphasis on age-appropriate and sequenced teaching, differentiated between primary and secondary school, will mean children don’t get taught things they are too young for, without proscribing specific ages to each individual topic. The clear dividing line between what can be taught in primary and secondary school remains unchanged.

Research shows over one in five (22%) of girls aged 7 to 10 had seen ‘rude images online’, and the average age for exposure to pornography is 13. This is also an issue the sector has regularly raised concerns about, with 3 out of 4 teachers surveyed worrying about the influence of online misogyny over their pupils. That’s why, starting in early 2026, schools will be able to apply for an RSHE training grant, empowering the workforce to take on these challenges.

Oak National Academy, the publicly-funded provider of curriculum and teaching resources for schools, has released a set of online safety lessons reflecting this part of the guidance that will warn teenagers of the dangers of incel ideology and other forms of misogyny they encounter on the internet.

3. Parents and carers across England will be able to shop for healthier food for their children with new guidelines.

Parents and carers across England will be able to shop for healthier food for their children with new guidelines for commercial baby food to reduce salt and sugar, along with clearer labelling to help parents make informed decisions.    Baby food manufacturers will be given 18 months to reduce sugar and salt levels in baby foods aimed at children up to 36 months old.   

Businesses will be challenged to change the recipes for their products to reduce levels of salt and sugar, without the use of sweeteners as these are not permitted for use in commercial baby food. And clearer labelling guidelines will be introduced to help parents understand more easily what food they are buying for their children.   

Obesity costs the NHS £11.4 billion a year and is one of the root causes of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s – including among children. High sugar intake in children’s diets is a significant factor contributing to high rates of childhood obesity in the UK, which is among the highest in Western EuropeThe guidelines will also tackle misleading labelling that often conflicts with official feeding advice. For example, some products labelled as snacks for babies from seven months onwards directly contradict government recommendations that children aged 6-12 months do not need snacks between meals, only milk. Manufacturers will also be told to cease using misleading marketing claims that make products appear healthier than they are - for example, products with labels such as “contains no nasties” - when products may be high in sugar. 

From January 2026, adverts for less healthy products will be banned from being shown on TV before 9pm or at any time online, reducing children’s excessive exposure to many foods high in fat, sugar or salt. The government has also granted more powers to local authorities to ban fast food shops from setting up outside of schools.

1. New changes to remove a local connection requirement for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors comes into effect today.

More young people leaving care and domestic abuse survivors can now have greater access to social housing, thanks to new changes removing a local connection requirement which came into effect 25th July 2025.

Many domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under the age of 25 face unique challenges, such as fleeing an unsafe home to seek safety or adjusting to life outside of the care system, so may be forced to move from area to area without having a local connection.

Government guidance for councils across England, nearly 90% of which currently use local connection tests, sets out their obligations to prioritise vulnerable people applying for social housing. This has now been updated to confirm young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors must be exempt from any local connection tests.

Last month the government published a written ministerial statement confirming new changes for young care leavers and domestic abuse survivors. While the changes remove a specific barrier for these vulnerable groups, the allocation of social housing is still at the discretion of the local housing authority.

2. Chancellor launches new £500m Fund to break down barriers to opportunity for up to 200,000 vulnerable children and young people and deliver Plan for Change.

Struggling and vulnerable families and children are to be given a better start in life after a new government fund was announced today 14th July 2025, which will provide them with the support and funding needed to access a better education, a safe home, and the caring supportive environment they need to flourish.

The Better Futures Fund will support up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years by bringing together government, local communities, charities, social enterprises, investors, and philanthropists to work together to give children a brighter future. It could fund providing support in schools to improve attendance, behaviour and overall achievement of pupils, intervening to free children from a life of crime, and offering employment support to secure their futures.

AllChild’s projects have already halved persistent school absences, and 80% of children have improved emotional wellbeing. Other programmes like the Skill Mill offer paid work experience and qualifications, reducing reconviction rates from 63% typically to 8% and three quarters of those in the programme progress to further employment, education or training.

Further details on the fund will be set out in due course. It will be delivered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

3. Without stronger penalties for failing to act, a new duty to report child sexual abuse may fail to have an impact, the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has warned.

The Crime and Policing Bill would establish a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse, a key recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. This is a welcome and vital step to protect children.

However, the narrow scope of the duty and lack of repercussions for failing to comply with it could undermine its effectiveness. The Government should review the impact of the mandatory reporting duty once it is in place. It should also reconsider the consequence of failing to carry out the duty to report child sexual abuse to ensure it operates as an effective deterrent.

The Joint Committee has concerns that the new respect orders introduced by the Bill may not provide sufficient safeguards against inappropriate use. Applying the civil standard of proof to the question of whether anti-social behaviour has been committed, and allowing respect orders to be imposed where ‘just and convenient’ creates a low threshold which must be kept under careful review. It calls for the Bill to be amended so that concealing of identity is only a criminal offence if the police reasonably believe that violence or public disorder may occur in the area.

The proposed defence should be also expanded so that people participating in protest are given a chance to show that concealing their identity was unintentional or for good reason.

4. Open call for evidence: Out-of-school settings safeguarding

The Department for Education (DfE) is calling for evidence to inform the development of government policy on safeguarding in the out-of-school settings (OOSS) sector which closes at 11:59pm on 21 September 2025.

The OOSS sector covers a broad and diverse range of providers.

Charity Commission

1. Places of worship warned by regulator over “inflammatory and divisive” language

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has criticised the Central Oxford Mosque Society and The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent, both of which failed to prevent their platforms being misused to communicate inappropriate material.

It was found that there was misconduct and / or mismanagement committed in connection with the charities.

During the last 18 months, the Commission has opened more than 300 regulatory cases involving charities supporting different sides of the Middle East conflict. It has issued formal statutory guidance to charities in around 100 of these cases, and has made more than 70 referrals to the police where it considers a criminal offence might have been committed.

2. The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into Edmund Kell Unitarian Church and Elizabeth Kell Community Hall over financial and safeguarding concerns.
Source: Charity Commission published on this website Friday 8 August 2025.

The charity, which serves the local community of Southampton, is an excepted charity meaning that it does not require registration with the Commission. As such, it is not listed on the Register of Charities.
The regulator started engaging with the charity in April 2025 after receiving an application from its trustees to change the charity’s structure. During this process, the regulator identified concerns around the charity’s governance and administration.

Following these concerns, the Commission conducted a review of the charity’s accounts and obtained information on its investment portfolio. This raised concerns that funds initially estimated as in the region of £290,000 may be unaccounted for. As a result, the regulator has now escalated its engagement to an inquiry which will seek to determine how these funds were used. In addition, the Commission has regulatory concerns in relation to safeguarding at the charity and potentially unmanaged risks relating to a connected individual.

3. Charity Commission disqualifies four trustees after CEO used charity as front for criminal activities

The charity Organisation of Blind Africans & Caribbeans (OBAC) was set up to support blind and partially sighted members of African and Caribbean communities and provide services which included immigration advice, education and training.

An official inquiry report, published today, found that four trustees of the charity had not sufficiently overseen the actions of the charity’s CEO, Ibukun Olashore, including by allowing her to continue acting as CEO following a serious conviction. The lack of action by the trustees enabled the CEO to have sole access to charity funds and use the charity to offer immigration advice illegally. As a result, the regulator has disqualified four trustees.

The Commission has now removed the charity from its public register after it was struck off by Companies House.

1. Child sexual abuse material vs ‘child porn’: why language matters

In 2024, the Internet Watch Foundation confirmed 291,273 reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, the highest number ever recorded. That’s nearly 800 reports a day, each containing content that shows the sexual abuse of a child.
Yet the phrase often still used to describe this content is ‘child pornography.’ There is No Such Thing as ‘child pornography’. This phrasing implies consent and even legality, as pornography is legal in most countries for consenting adults. But children cannot legally or ethically consent to sexual activity, and they can never be complicit in their abuse.

CSAM takes many forms. Sometimes it’s the result of grooming, where someone builds trust with a child online and then manipulates them into sharing explicit images. In other cases, it involves sexually coerced extortion (sometimes called ‘sextortion’), which is when a child is blackmailed into sending more imagery or money under threat.

And now, with the rise of technology, some CSAM is AI-generated but disturbingly realistic. Even if no real child was directly involved in the sexual abuse, these images still feed demand and normalise abuse, especially when the AI models have been trained on images of real children.

Want to be part of the solution? Whether you’re an individual or a company, you can help fund vital work and raise awareness. Visit the IWF’s Support Us page to get involved and, if you work for an organisation that handles online images and videos, consider becoming a Member.

Who to contact: IWF: If you’ve encountered online material that involves child sexual abuse, report it anonymously here.

NSPCC: If you’re worried about a child, the NSPCC is here to listen. You can call their helpline 24/7 at 0808 800 5000 or visit their website for advice and support.

Marie Collins Foundation: The Marie Collins Foundation offers support to anyone harmed by technology-assisted child sexual abuse which includes online child sexual abuse.

2. A new Ofcom discussion paper, published today, explores how different tools and techniques could be used to identify deepfakes

Deepfakes are AI-generated videos, images and audio content that are deliberately created to look real. They pose a significant threat to online safety, and we have seen them being used for financial scams, to depict people in non-consensual sexual imagery and to spread disinformation about politicians.

In July last year, Ofcom published their first Deepfake Defences paper, and today’s follow-up dives deeper into the merits of four ‘attribution measures’: watermarking, provenance metadata, AI labels, and context annotations. These four measures are designed to provide information about how AI-generated content has been created, and – in some cases – can indicate whether the content is accurate or misleading.

3. Proposals to Criminalise Sexually Explicit Deepfake Images

The Department of Justice is seeking views on proposals to criminalise the creation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfake images of adults:

• Sexually explicit deepfake images consultation
• Equality screening form
• Response form

1. Up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs to be rolled out across the country to provide wide-ranging help for families, such as parenting and early development.

Parents across the country will benefit from greater support to make family life easier on their doorstep, as the government rolls out ‘Best Start Family Hubs’ across every local authority – relieving pressure on parents and giving half a million more children the very best start in life.

Postcodes shouldn’t dictate the support available, but one in four families with children under five cannot access local children’s centres or Family Hubs, rising to one in three lower income families. This means thousands of parents cut off from vital community support networks and specialist services – left to navigate the challenges of parenthood alone – as well as a devastating impact on children’s life chances, with early development, wellbeing and future attainment all in jeopardy.

Best Start Family Hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, reassuring families that they have convenient access to support in their local area or can be efficiently connected to specialist local services.

Rolling out in every local authority by April 2026, Hubs will offer interventions and courses which work for parents – such as stay and play groups which help parents connect or sessions which help manage children’s emotional needs – while providing a single point of access for services across health, education, and wellbeing.

The digital platform will provide advice on a range of topics and connect parents to their local Best Start Family Hub, as well as link to the NHS App – making sure these services are at the centre of every community, whether on- or off-line.

The Hubs will be open to all, making a particular difference to the most vulnerable families and helping tackle the stain of child poverty ahead of the ambitious strategy due to be launched by the government’s Child Poverty Taskforce. Local authorities will build on their existing work with families, young children and babies, to develop ambitious local plans for meeting their 2028 target.

2. Prison term for ‘legal first’ prosecution of man who encouraged a vulnerable woman to commit serious self-harm online

A man who was the first to be charged with encouraging serious self-harm online under Section 184 of the Online Safety Act 2023 has been sentenced to a nine years and four month prison term - partially to be served in hospital.
Tyler Webb, 22, used the Telegram communications app to repeatedly tell a vulnerable 22-year-old woman to cut herself, and then to kill herself by hanging during a video call so he could watch, telling her she had nothing to live for and giving her methods to end her life. The court also handed down an eight year and two months prison term for encouraging suicide, with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim. Separately he was given a one year two month prison term for encouraging self-harm, which will run on top of his other sentence, meaning a total of nine years and four month prison term.

3. Young Futures Hubs to launch offering vulnerable young people lifeline

Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year. Sitting at the heart of the Government’s Plan for Change, these hubs will help create opportunity for all and keep our streets safe. They will bring together vital local services in the local community, providing support ranging from well-being and mental health to careers advice.

The hubs will help all teenagers thrive, in particular, those who face being dragged into criminal gangs or young people at risk of mental health challenges.

Backed by a £2m cash injection eight hubs will launch this year, targeted in areas with high levels of knife crime and antisocial behaviour and offer a lifeline to vulnerable young people. It is expected that 50 Young Future Hubs will be launched over the next four years.

4. Youths who tortured and killed kittens banned from ever owning pets

Two teenagers who admitted torturing and killing kittens have been detained in a young offender institution and banned from ever owning pets again. The boy, 17, and girl, 17, who cannot be named due to their age, both previously pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

At a sentencing hearing at Highbury Magistrates' Court, the male defendant was sentenced to 12 months' detention in a secure youth centre while the female defendant was sentenced to nine months' detention. Both defendants were also permanently disqualified from owning pets under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Two eyewitnesses saw the couple holding hands as they approached a secluded part of a footpath in Ruislip, North West London, carrying a black animal carrier with cats inside. Armed with knives, a blowtorch and scissors, the pair dismembered and left the mutilated bodies behind. One kitten was recovered hanging from a tree. The kittens, that the defendants killed, were sourced through legitimate websites where owners sell pets. The pair falsely indicated they were legitimate buyers and paid for the animals in cash. Following a rapid investigation by the Metropolitan Police, prosecutors charged both teenagers with a range of offences just two weeks after the kittens were found.

As part of the CPS’s drive to save valuable court time, prosecutors presented the strongest possible visual and eyewitness evidence, ensuring both defendants pleaded guilty to all charges at the earliest possible opportunity.

5. Statement on the National Crime Agency’s adoption of South Yorkshire child sexual abuse investigation

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has agreed to lead and continue an investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse by former South Yorkshire Police (SYP) officers, following a request by the force to do so. The investigation will be carried out by officers from Operation Stovewood - the NCA’s enquiry into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse in Rotherham – under the direction of the IOPC.

Victims or anyone with information that may assist the investigation are encouraged to contact the IOPC, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the NCA on 0370 496 7622 quoting “Operation Stovewood”.

6. Transgender woman convicted of sexual assaults
A transgender woman who failed to disclose her gender status to a male sexual partner has been found guilty of sexual assault at Teesside Crown Court. Ciara Watkin, 21, of Walton Street, Stockton-on-Tees, was found guilty of multiple charges relating to sexual acts that she performed on the 21 year old man over a number of days in June 2022. The sexual assault charges were brought after Watkin failed to disclose her transgender status to the man, which meant that he could not have given informed consent to the sexual activity between them.

The court heard how the pair had initially met over Snapchat, exchanging messages over a couple of weeks before meeting at a house in Thornaby. After drinking and chatting, the pair went to the bedroom of the property where Watkin told the defendant that she was on her period, preventing him from touching her below the waist as she performed sexual acts upon him. A few days later, Watkin attended the victim’s home where further sexual activity took place. Following this, Watkin initially blocked all contact with the man but eventually got back in touch with him, before telling him during an exchange of text messages that she was transgender and that she had male genitalia. Watkin will be sentenced on 10th October at Teesside Crown Court.

CTSI and UKICC Scam & Impersonation Warning

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) and UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC) are warning consumers and businesses to stay vigilant of scams using our name and branding. They have recently been alerted to a number of new scams involving fraudulent LinkedIn profiles, fraudulent emails and letters falsely claiming to represent CTSI or UKICC.
Some of these scams include:

• Emails being sent from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., falsely claiming to represent CTSI or UKICC
• A LinkedIn profile under the name of 'Karen Moss' claiming to be a Compliance Officer at CTSI is fake
• Letters and bogus text messages impersonating CTSI, with fraudsters copying the CTSI branding

Common signs of a scam using CTSI's name include:

• Unexpected emails or messages claiming you are owed money
• Use of unofficial email addresses (such as hotmail, gmail or any other domains that do not look legitimate)
• Poor grammar, unusual formatting or suspicious links
• Claims of association with “CTSI”, “UKICC” or “ECC” or similar, especially if asking for action or payment

Remember:

• CTSI and UKICC never send unsolicited emails offering compensations, refunds or funds of any kind
• They will never ask you to provide personal information without legitimate reason
• Protect yourself
• Only trust communications from official CTSI channels. If in doubt, do not click or respond - contact them directly to verify.

Report to Action Fraud or in Scotland, contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or if in Northern Ireland, call Consumerline on 0300 123 6262. For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.

1. Photographer jailed after sexually assaulting two models

Wayne Glover-Stuart [36] from Chiswick, West London, has had his suspended sentence overturned and jailed for three years after the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred his case to the Court of Appeal. The court heard that Glover-Stuart, a former theatre producer, invited two men on separate occasions to an underwear modelling photoshoot.
During both incidents, Glover-Stuart touched the victims’ genitals before carrying out sexual assaults.

Wayne Glover-Stuart was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, for sexual assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, on 16 April 2025 at the Inner London Crown Court. On 1 July 2025, Glover-Stuart’s suspended sentence was quashed and jailed for three years after it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

2. Fake medical practitioner jailed for causing harm during multiple male circumcision operations

A fake medical practitioner who carried out a number of unsafe and illegal circumcisions causing lasting harm has been imprisoned today. Mohammed Alazawi, 54, has been convicted of 40 offences which include multiple counts of fraud, wounding with intent, administering and supplying prescription only medicines, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He had pleaded guilty to 20 offences, but was found guilty of 20 further offences following a trial and has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment.

Alazawi carried out a number of non-therapeutic male circumcisions between October 2016 and January 2022 on baby boys and older male children. The defendant was able to carry out these procedures because non-therapeutic male circumcision is unregulated and is not required to be carried out by a medical practitioner.

However, as he pretended he was a doctor, parents consented to circumcisions being carried out on their children. In addition, the circumcisions carried out in this case were unlawful because of the manner in which the defendant carried them out. This changed them from an ordinary circumcision which would be safe and sanitary to a procedure which was inherently unsafe or dangerous and therefore unlawful.

3. Couple convicted of manslaughter after death of newborn baby

A couple have been convicted of manslaughter after their newborn baby died while they lived in a tent in freezing conditions to evade social services. Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 50, have been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of their baby girl, Victoria, who was found decomposing in a shopping bag in a disused Brighton shed. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sought a re-trial at the Old Bailey after a jury in 2024 could not reach a verdict on whether the pair were guilty of manslaughter. To prove Marten and Gordon’s guilt beyond doubt, the CPS used fresh evidence from prosecution experts to explain the conditions and extreme high-risk baby Victoria was exposed to by her parents. This included analysis of the weather data at the time, with temperatures close to freezing, and the effect of wind and wet clothing. Armed with this additional evidence, prosecutors were able to show the jury how a combination of condensation in the tent and damp clothing and sleeping bags would have exposed baby Victoria to substantial climatic cold stress, leading to a high risk of hypothermia.
Marten and Gordon had already been found guilty of concealing the birth of a child, cruelty to a child and perverting the course of justice following a three-month trial last year.

 4. Celebrity osteopath who spied on thousands of women for more than a decade jailed

A celebrity osteopath who is thought to be one of London’s most prolific ever voyeurs was jailed for three years, after he admitted taking intimate images and videos of thousands of women without their knowledge. Torben Stig Hersborg, 64, of Tower Hamlets, London, took secret pictures and videos of approximately 2,000 women in his clinic, in public and private places and students living in university accommodations across London for more than a decade.
The scale of his offences – revealed for the first time in court yesterday by prosecutors – suggests he is one of the capital’s most prolific ever voyeurs. Hersborg, a Danish national, boasts a string of high-profile celebrity clients including TV personalities and Olympians, and has been pictured with some of the nation’s most famous faces.

He was jailed for three years and five months after prosecutors built a strong case against him, even though victims couldn’t be identified, and as a result he pleaded guilty to eight serious charges at the earliest possible opportunity.

5. Man charged with child cruelty offences at Leicestershire summer camp

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of a 76-year-old man with child cruelty offences following a police investigation into a summer camp held at Stathern Lodge, Leicestershire. This decision has been made after reviewing a file of evidence from Leicestershire Police. Jonathon Ruben will be charged with three child cruelty offences relating to three boys. A trial date has been set for the end of January 2026

6. Sittingbourne sex offender who targeted children jailed
Bradley Kite a sex offender from Sittingbourne who groomed young teenage girls and lavished them with gifts has been jailed.
Kite, 42, pleaded guilty to multiple offences at Maidstone Crown Court. While the sexual abuse was taking place, Kite manipulated a girl to believe he was her boyfriend, sending her sexualised messages as well as giving her money and jewellery. He also took girls shopping and bought them expensive presents before sexually assaulting them. Kent Police was alerted to Kite’s offending in June 2024 after crimes were disclosed to a victim’s family member. An investigation, which involved specialist detectives from the force, was launched. Further victims were also identified.

He admitted thirteen offences including multiple counts of sexual activity with a child and sexual assaults of a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. A jury found Kite guilty of a further sexual assault of a child that he denied. Kite was sentenced to 12 years and nine months’ imprisonment. He will serve at least two thirds of his sentence behind bars and will spend a further five years on licence after his release. Kite was also made the subject of a 25-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

7. Partial verdict on trial of Chris Brain, founder of the Nine O'Clock service

The jury at the Inner London Crown Court yesterday returned verdicts on 32 of the 37 charges against Chris Brain comprising guilty and not guilty outcomes in respect of the indecent assault charges. The Church of England recognise this will be a difficult time for many and offers Additional Support Options.

8. South London man given life sentence for multiple rapes

A man identified as one of London’s most dangerous offenders has been jailed for rape and sexual assault following an investigation led by Met Police detectives.

The Met’s innovative ‘V100’ programme is transforming the way officers can identify and target the most dangerous perpetrators of violence against women and girls. The V100 programme uses data to identify and target the men who pose the highest risk to women. This allows us to focus the efforts of local and specialist Met officers across London on reducing the threat posed by the most dangerous perpetrators and protecting potential victims from the devastating damage they cause. 

Clinton Easy, 32 (10.09.92), of Lutwyche Road, SE6, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 12 years on Thursday, 14 August at Woolwich Crown court. A restraining order will also be imposed by the judge.

The sentencing followed two trials. During the first trial beginning in July 2024, Easy pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and two charges of actual bodily harm and was found guilty of controlling and coercive behaviour.

Senior detective speaks out about ‘One Punch’ killings and serious assaults

The head of the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team is warning people of the dangers of becoming involved in avoidable confrontations, following convictions for ‘One Punch’ killings in both counties over the past year.

And also
Well done, Pebbles! Guide dog Pebble helps Staffordshire police officers deliver safe parking message.

Officers in Stafford have joined forces with sight-loss charity Guide Dogs to remind drivers that pavements are for people.

Parking on the pavement can cause serious problems for those who are visually impaired, people with prams, wheelchair or mobility scooter users, as well as children and the elderly. Enforcement action for pavement parking can vary from location to location across the UK but, even if not specifically prohibited, it could lead to an offence of obstruction being committed. This could result in a fixed-penalty-notice (FPN) of £50 or more.

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/PbwDHDZ-Lkc?si=EGiZj7Ke1O5aTPCh