County lines drug dealing blamed for figures in annual report from UK’s anti-slavery commissioner The Guardian reports

Dame Sara Thornton's comments on the county lines exploitation of children were quoted in a report from The Guardian, following the publication of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner's Annual Report 2020-2021. The article focused on the report's reference to the increase in the number of children being flagged as potential victims of slavery, which overtook the number of adults for the first time last year due to county lines drug dealing, and its call for substantial child protection activity to support exploited children. 

Dame Sara Thornton was quoted via the annual report:

“I continue to have significant concerns about the safeguarding response for child victims of trafficking. Access to this specialist support for children should not be a postcode lottery,” the report states.

More children than adults flagged as potential slavery victims last year (14.07.21)

You can read the full article here.