Introduce Suzanne’s Law to prevent grooming, exploitation and escalating harm

Background

Introduce Suzanne’s Law to create a national framework to identify and prevent grooming, coercion, exploitation, abuse and escalating violence, including risks involving trusted people.

Additional details

Suzanne’s Law should recognise the pathway from grooming and manipulation through isolation, coercion, exploitation and abuse to serious injury, life-threatening harm or death. It should require earlier intervention, information sharing, training and risk assessment, including where perpetrators are trusted people or multiple perpetrators. Agencies should consider patterns rather than isolated incidents, support victims unable to disclose abuse, and ensure warning signs are considered.