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Child abuse linked reference material

Major investigation and public protection — Authorised Professional Practice

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Summary

This page provides reference material related to child abuse, intended to assist police officers in their investigations and safeguarding responsibilities. It encompasses links to various resources, guidelines, and best practices established by the College of Policing and other authorities. Policymakers and practitioners can expect to find comprehensive information to support their actions related to investigating child abuse, managing risk, coordinating multi-agency responses, and understanding legal frameworks surrounding child welfare. This material reinforces the importance of structured approaches in safeguarding children and responding to disclosures or suspicions of child abuse.

Key principles

  • 1Utilize structured practices for investigating child abuse.
  • 2Engage in multi-agency responses for comprehensive safeguarding.
  • 3Stay informed on relevant legal frameworks and guidelines.
  • 4Ensure efficient risk management throughout investigations.
  • 5Maintain thorough documentation and information management.

Defined terms

MAPPA
Multi-agency public protection arrangements.

Full guidance

Responding to public protection and major investigation issues, for example, child abuse, knife crime and sexual offences

This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.

[ACPO (2013) Guidelines on the Presentation of Images to Court in Indecent Images of Children Cases in England and Wales \[RESTRICTED\] (this link is available to authorised users who are logged on to College Learn)](https://www.learn.college.police.uk/Course/Details/35367)

[Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority \[1986\] 1 AC 112(opens an external website in the same tab)](http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1985/7.html)

NPCC (2015) Advice on the Structure of Visually Recorded Witness Interviews (Third Edition)-Guidance-Visually-Recorded-Interviews%203rd%20Edition.pdf)

[R v G \[2004\] 1 AC 1034(opens an external website in the same tab)](http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/2003/50.html)

R v Graham-Kerr \[1988\] 1 WLR 1098 (not hyperlinked) * R v Oliver \[2002\] EWCA Crim 2766, et al (not hyperlinked) * R v Stamford \[1972\] 2 QB 391 (not hyperlinked)

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Reproduced from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice under the Open Government Licence v3.0, as captured on 2026-06-27. APP is amended over time — check the source link below for the current version. This is a reference, not operational authorisation.

APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.

Read the full APP guidance

Source: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.