LJMU Addresses Psychological Support for Police Officers in Cases of Child Abuse
LJMU has taken an important step in tackling a growing and socially significant issue: Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). On Tuesday, the University hosted the international event "Walk On: Supporting Police Officers in Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Investigations", held by the School of Psychology as part of the collaboration agreement signed one year ago with Guardia Civil University Centre.
The event aimed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences between police forces from various countries, with the goal of improving support for officers and identifying areas of good practice.
The panel featured contributions from Cristina Bonucchi, Head of the Cybercrime Analysis Unit of the Italian State Police, and Federica Bensi, a psychologist within that service. From the UK, Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Lamb, Head of Merseyside Police's Protecting Vulnerable Persons Department, and Dr Esther Ingham, lead of Merseyside Police’s Psychological Support Service, both participated. LJMU’s own Colin Radcliffe, a lecturer and former Branch Commander at the National Crime Agency, also contributed. Other international participants included Second Lieutenant Michal Leski, a specialist at the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime of the Polish Police, and Richard Gomm, Senior Investigations Officer at the Republic of Ireland’s Office of the Police Ombudsman (Fiosrú). Representing the Spanish Guardia Civil were Major Ángel Martín, Head of Training and Psychological Services, and Major Gemma de la Cruz, Head of the Psychology Unit at the Alicante Command. Professor Jacqueline Wheatcroft of LJMU, an HCPC Registered Forensic Practitioner and Registered Intermediary with the Ministry of Justice, also took part.
Lieutenant Colonel Blas Guillamón, Head of Research at the Guardia Civil University Centre, stated: "This has been an extremely useful event, with direct impact on how we support our officers. The combination of direct professional experience with the most up-to-date academic knowledge provided by LJMU experts has made a real difference, and it represents a model we hope to replicate in the future."
Dr Ricardo Tejeiro, organiser of the event, said: "It is difficult to bring together experts of this calibre, but the successful work carried out under the agreement with the Guardia Civil University Centre is positioning the University as a key reference point and is opening new doors for us."
This is the second event of its kind jointly organised by LJMU and Guardia Civil, following a similar meeting held in Madrid in December 2024, which focused on the prevention of suicide among police officers.