WE all know how difficult life has been for children and young people throughout the pandemic, as they adapted to new ways of living and learning. But for some children, the pandemic presented another challenge which we at the NSPCC want to help them overcome.

Victims of child sexual abuse can find the wait for their abusers to appear in court extremely distressing, and the support or therapy available to them as part of the criminal justice process may be inadequate.This week, figures obtained by the NSPCC from the Ministry of Justice showed that the backlog of child sexual abuse cases has risen by 70per cent, from 2,700 to 4,560 in the last year. Thousands of young victims are waiting in limbo for a court date, and many are unable to access therapeutic support in the run-up to the trial.

The sharp rise could be explained in part by the closure of courts in the first lockdown. But it is disingenuous to suggest that years of funding cuts imposed by successive governments and permanent court closures have not helped create this bleak situation. Prosecutions and convictions for child sexual abuse cases had halved in the last four years.

The NSPCC has called on Dominic Raab, in his position as Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, to dedicate a proportion of the £477 million allocated to the Ministry Of Justice in the Spending Review to tackling the backlog in child sexual abuse cases.

Seeing their abuser on trial cannot undo the harm victims have suffered, but knowing the perpetrator is facing justice rather than them having to wait for a court date that never seems to arrive could be a great relief.

We’re calling on the Crown Prosecution Service to publish guidance on what forms of pre-trial therapy should be in place, so witnesses and victims can have support and can give their best evidence in court. Currently, they can’t access intensive therapeutic support, because of concerns it could influence the child’s evidence and prejudice the trial, but consultation on this was carried out two years ago and still hasn’t been published.

Waiting to go to court can be a distressing experience, and long delays without necessary support hampers recovery. The lack of clarity in resolving the matter by the CPS risks leaving some children without any pre-trial support at all, leaving them vulnerable to anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Childline counsellors are on 0800 1111, or childline.org.uk. Adults seeking support can call 0808 8005000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk