Childline reports rise in vulnerable children, some just 11, facing custody alone 

Childline volunteers were called to New Mole House police station 31 times over the past 12 months to support children who had no family member willing or able to attend with them, with some of those youngsters as young as 11.  

The figure compares with 19 call-outs in the previous reporting period, and involved 18 individual children, seven of whom were detained by police on more than one occasion.  

The age range of the children ran from 11 to 18.  

In one recent month alone, there were two call-outs for an 11-year-old and another for a 12-year-old held in custody, underlining concerns about very young children entering the criminal justice system.  

There is also a clear gender trend, with more boys than girls requiring support, a pattern that Childline says has remained steady over the years.  

Behind the headline numbers sits a small but highly vulnerable group of children.  

Most young people detained by police will have a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or care worker who can attend the station with them.  

Childline chief executive Caroline Carter said the charity steps in only for those who have no such adult to rely on. 

Its ‘appropriate adult’ service provides dedicated, trained volunteers to be on call 24/7 all year round, ready to attend New Mole House whatever time of the day or night they are needed. 

“These are children who are detained in a police station who do not have a single adult in their life who’s willing or able to be there,” Ms Carter said. 

“The young people that we support are children who don’t have a single significant adult in their life to be there for them.” 

“These are extremely vulnerable children,” she added, noting they are likely to have gone through “adverse childhood experiences” including neglect, domestic abuse, physical abuse or sexual abuse, and often some form of drug use either in their own lives or within their family environment. 

The offences for which they are detained vary widely, from theft, burglary and assault to drug-related matters.  

In several cases, children have been detained after illegally entering Gibraltar without a parent.  

Ms Carter said that, in seven instances over the 12-month period, a child had entered Gibraltar without any adult travelling with them, raising questions about whether some might be at risk of trafficking or wider exploitation.  

She stressed too that the charge sheet often masks more complex circumstances. In one case listed as assault, for example, a child was detained after being caught up in a domestic violence incident at home. 

Against that backdrop, the appropriate adult service operates quietly in the background of Gibraltar’s youth justice system.  

Childline has provided the service since shortly after its launch in 2006 and now runs a rota of 56 trained volunteers to ensure there is always someone on call. 

“We’re all volunteers,” Ms Carter said. 

“We run a rota to be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.” 

If a child is detained and has no suitable adult to accompany them, police call Childline.  

The appropriate adult’s role is not to offer legal advice - that is the duty solicitor’s responsibility - but to safeguard the young person’s welfare and help them understand what is happening. 

Ms Carter said the volunteers act “in lieu of a parent”, focusing on the child’s well-being and safety, checking whether they have eaten or had anything to drink, arranging medical attention where needed, and making sure they can speak to a solicitor.  

They also help translate formal procedures into age-appropriate language and monitor how the child is coping emotionally during interviews and processing. 

This is “niche” volunteering that unfolds out of the limelight and with little public praise or acknowledgement. 

“What makes a good appropriate adult is somebody who can really tune in and connect with a young person going through a really difficult time,” she said.  

“It’s very distressing to be in a police station, and so we want people who can build a rapport with that young person, that child.” 

Because the work is demanding and the responsibilities are onerous, Childline invests heavily in training.  

Childline has exceptional support from some local companies such as PwC and Advantage, who allow staff who volunteer for the appropriate adult service to leave work should they be needed. 

The charity joined the UK’s National Appropriate Adult Network after launching the service and now follows its model and training framework, adapting it to Gibraltar’s Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act 2011.  

Last week, Childline hosted a specialist seminar for its experienced appropriate adults, going beyond basic induction to reflect on changing practice and emerging risks. 

The seminar, held in a boardroom at Bassadone, included a briefing from police Sergeant Howard on police procedures. 

“This training that we delivered was for our experienced appropriate adults, because they obviously needed more of a reflection on practice, they didn’t need the basics,” Ms Carter said. 

The session focused on safeguarding in custody, with particular attention to child criminal exploitation.  

Within that context, Ms Carter said trainers looked at “children who are being exploited to get into crime for the benefit of another adult”, a pattern that can involve adults or gangs using children to carry drugs, handle money or commit offences on their behalf. 

Volunteers were also given a refresher on communication skills and de-escalation techniques, recognising that some children arrive at the station highly distressed, angry or frightened. 

“We might need to de-escalate some of that emotion to allow them to go through the police and the legal process, which we can’t change, but it’s about guiding them during that difficult time,” she said of the challenging work carried out by the charity’s volunteers. 

The training is part of a wider programme of continuing professional development, with three sessions each year and additional advanced modules for those who have been volunteering longest.  

Some appropriate adults have been with the service for more than 15 years, and the charity plans to recognise long-standing volunteers as it marks its 20th anniversary next year.  

For Ms Carter, the combination of rising call-outs and sustained volunteer commitment highlights both need and resilience. 

It spotlights a growing number of children reaching the police station without anyone to stand beside them, but also a dedicated group of trained adults determined to ensure they do not face that experience alone. 

It also points to need for deeper societal reflection on how best to address the needs of a small yet significant number of vulnerable children at risk of entering a cycle of criminality. 

The key, Ms Carter said, is early intervention to prevent what might otherwise spiral into wasted life opportunities and repeat offending into adulthood.