Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary responding to news that the National Crime Agency is not pursuing tens of thousands of people known to have accessed child abuse images online, said:

“This is a disgraceful policy from the National Crime Agency and the Home Secretary which sees the vast majority of people downloading vile child abuse images not investigated, while children remain at risk. 

“The NCA has details on tens of thousands of people who have accessed vile images of child abuse. Yet only 600 have been arrested. Of course they need to look first for the most dangerous cases, but it seems most cases aren’t being investigated at all.

“Theresa May created the National Crime Agency and abolished CEOP, but it’s clear now that the NCA is simply not fit for dealing with the scale and seriousness of this problem.

“The NCA says it doesn’t have the resources to investigate all cases – and yet the police arrest more than 220,000 people a year for theft and more than 110,000 for drug offences. Why is the Home Secretary not also insisting we arrest known paedophiles, where children may be at risk? And why are none of those known to be accessing child abuse images being referred to the vetting and barring service?

“Labour has repeatedly warned the Home Secretary that she must get to grips with the growing crisis in online child abuse to avoid sleepwalking into another national scandal where, once again, children are at risk. She must not turn a blind eye to both the resources and policies being used to deal with this growing crime. It is her responsibility to act.”