DYFED-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn has come out in support of calls by NSPCC charity for government investment to identify and respond to the risks children and young people have experienced in lockdown.

The NSPCC last week published its annual ‘How safe are our children?’ report for 2020, a comprehensive examination of the safety of adolescents across the UK, which also includes a section on the impact of coronavirus on children’s safety.

During the coronavirus lockdown, reports of physical abuse to the NSPCC rose by 53 per cent. Its helpline received 1,066 contacts about physical abuse on average each month between April and July, compared with a monthly average of 696 before lockdown.

One of the key policy calls the NSPCC has identified is the need for investment to respond to the risks children and young people have experienced in lockdown.

Mr Llywelyn has worked passionately during his time in office to safeguard the vulnerable and to ensure that the voices of young people are heard. The Commissioner is also a trustee of Embrace Child Victims of Crime Charity.

Mr Llywelyn said, “Child abuse is totally unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Children and young people are one of the most vulnerable in our society, and ensuring sufficient support is available to all child victims as we come out of lockdown is key.

“Lockdown has been a difficult time for many children and young people, and the findings of this report by the NSPCC is concerning in many ways. The report identifies the need for significant investment in recovery planning to support children who have suffered in recent months, and I am supportive of these calls.

“Schools and Colleges will now begin to re-open and I plead on teachers and carers to be vigilant and to look out for any signs of abuse and to ensure they navigate and signpost concerns and cases to the appropriate local support agencies.

“Ensuring effective victim support has been a priority of mine as a Commissioner. One of my priorities since being in Office has been to explore options for multi-agency initiatives to prevent and protect young people from exploitation and abuse, with a focus on early intervention initiatives to limit the damage caused by adverse childhood experiences.”