Survivors will be able to share information about closed cases and explore options for having decisions reviewed.
People who have reported child sexual abuse or exploitation, but whose cases were closed without further action, will be able to explore their options through a new website launched on Thursday.
I Am Ready explains how to request a case review, report abuse and access support. It’s intended to help victims understand what they can do next, without having to make any decisions before they feel ready to.
Jamie, a survivor who helped develop the website, said they spent 25 years struggling to find the right time, place or person to confide in. When they eventually came forward, their investigation was closed with a decision to take no further action.
‘Knowing I Am Ready now exists is reassuring,’ Jamie said. ‘Others like me can now visit, seek information, understand what support and review options are available to them and decide what feels right for them.’
The site also includes access to Operation Beaconport, a national review of child sexual abuse and exploitation investigations in which police or the Crown Prosecution Service decided to take no further action between 1 January 2010 and 21 March 2025.
Established following Baroness Casey’s audit of group-based abuse and exploitation, the operation allows survivors to submit details of their experiences, including dates, locations and the people they believe may have been responsible.
Trained officers will compare submissions with cases already referred by police forces, looking for possible new lines of inquiry.
Any further investigation will be carried out in liaison with the victim and it should be noted a review doesn’t guarantee a case will be reopened.
Nigel Leary, deputy director of the National Crime Agency and lead of Operation Beaconport, said: ‘It takes tremendous courage for victims and survivors to revisit their experiences of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and we want to be as supportive as we can as people go through this journey.
‘This portal has been developed with care, compassion and a commitment to putting the needs and voices of victims and survivors as its heart.’
Satvir Kaur, minister for safeguarding violence against women and girls, added: ‘This new website brings trusted guidance together in one place. I encourage anyone thinking “what next?” to use this tool to better understand their options, make informed decisions and stay in control.’
Image: Tommy van Kessel
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