Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member, commenting on the report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary on child protection services in the Metropolitan Police Service, said:
“This report highlights how much child protection issues have been marginalised by the Met. The HMIC are absolutely right to highlight their serious concern that within the Met there is no single person at a senior level who is responsible and with oversight of child protection work.
“The report also highlights the long standing issue of the neglect of missing looked after children, which is an issue I have long been concerned about.
“It is a scandal that so many children in the care of local authorities go missing for such long periods of time. A local authority looked after child who goes missing for 24 hours or more is at serious risk, including at risk of physical and sexual abuse. The widespread failure to keep some of the most vulnerable children in London safe while they are in the legal protection of a local authority is nothing short of a disgrace.”