Police Scotland recently described pedophiles as ‘minor-attracted people’ in a report assessing their progress in fighting child sexual abuse the last two years. The public has erupted in anger in the softening language used for abusing children.
The Daily Mail reported that the document, which assessed the force’s performance during the past year, outlined that Police Scotland has been working to support a European project in order to ‘counter the effects of child sexual exploitation’.
In reference to this project, the report read: ‘This project’s main agenda is to develop understanding and approach to avoid the victimization of children by engaging Minor-Attracted People (MAPs) and provide them with the necessary support, treatment and guidance to help prevent criminal activities.’
Children’s campaign group UsForThem Scotland also said it was ‘horrified’ by the idea that paedophiles were ‘being rebranded as MAPs’.
“This is not an acceptable phrase. We should never normalize pedophilia.”
Police Scotland said that the agency does not use the term ‘minor-attracted people’ in reference to pedophiles but rather the report listing the phrase was being quoted from the proposed agenda of an EU group.
Emphasizing that the agency does not use the word, a police representative said that “the reference in the Assessment of Policing Performance 2021/22 was in relation to our engagement with the Horizon Project EU consortium to tackle Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.”
The official statement from Police Scotland is below:
