Forensic Medical Services (Victims of Sexual Offences) (Scotland) Act 2021: child rights and welfare impact assessment

Scope of the CRWIA, identifying the children and young people affected by the policy, and summarising the evidence base

As set out in the CRWIA published in 2019 to support the passage of the FMS Bill, there were 190 children on a child protection register or subject to a child protection plan in Scotland in 2017-18^[16] due to concerns about sexual abuse, and possibly an additional 45 due to concerns about child sexual exploitation, this figure remained constant in 2019-20.^[17] While not all of these will be affected by the Act, this gives an idea of how many children may experience abuse.