Des Mannion, NSPCC national head of service for Wales, said:
“It’s right that the tough sentences given have reflected the severe damage caused by these two women and Ian Watkins – a highly manipulative and devious sex offender. Watkins used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and sexually abuse children. But we must nevertheless remember that this case isn’t about celebrity, it’s about victims. And those victims are children. The effects of these crimes can last a lifetime and there are many other children – victims of Ian Watkins or others like him – that desperately need our help.
“In the weeks since Watkins’ guilty plea it’s become apparent that many people may have been aware of his abuse of children. Some people did come forward to report it, but equally there were some that stayed silent. Most worryingly, some have claimed that their reports were not acted on for some time. It’s absolutely right that the IPCC are now investigating this. It’s an incredibly difficult step to report child abuse so it’s imperative that when people do speak out, they have the upmost confidence that what they are reporting will be acted upon immediately.
“But calls to the NSPCC to report abuse in the period following Watkins’ guilty plea rose significantly compared to the same period last year. This tells us that the reporting of cases such as this have helped to put child protection in the spotlight and resulted in more people coming forward and protecting children.”
If you have any concerns at all about a child, call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected]
Children can contact ChildLine on 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk
