PREGNANT women in Wales should only be jailed if it is “unavoidable,” according to new sentencing guidance introduced by the Sentencing Council.

The changes, which come into effect on 1 April, also apply to mothers in England and those of children under one year old. The council’s move has been welcomed by campaigners who have long argued that prison is an unsafe and inappropriate environment for pregnant women and new mothers.

Official figures reveal that between April 2023 and March 2024, there were 215 pregnant women in prisons. During the same period, 53 babies were born to mothers in custody, with all but one of these births occurring in hospitals.

The new guidelines urge courts to “avoid the possibility of an offender navigating the risks associated with pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in custody unless the imposition of a custodial sentence is unavoidable.” Pregnancy is now also listed as a factor that could justify suspending a sentence.

The Sentencing Council said the guidance includes “significant new areas,” including specific sections on sentencing young adult offenders, female offenders, mothers, and pregnant or postnatal offenders. Even for offences that usually carry a mandatory prison term, courts now have greater discretion to impose alternative sentences if the offender is pregnant or has a young baby.

Janey Starling, from the campaign group Level Up, described the changes as a “huge milestone” in the effort to stop pregnant women and mothers of infants being jailed. “This guidance is a landmark step forward in our campaign and paves the way for future sentencing reforms,” she said.

Concerns over the treatment of pregnant women in prison have grown following high-profile cases where babies have died in custody. Rianna Cleary and Louise Powell both gave birth without medical assistance at HMP Bronzefield in 2019 and HMP Styal in 2020, respectively. The Royal College of Midwives has previously stated that “prison is no place for pregnant women” and was among several organisations that called for a review of sentencing practices.

A number of countries, including Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, already have laws preventing the imprisonment of pregnant women.

Anna, a co-founder of the Level Up campaign who was pregnant while in prison, welcomed the new guidelines. “As someone who has lived through this experience, it gives me great hope that fewer women will have to go through what I did. This is a step in the right direction,” she said.

Campaign group No Births Behind Bars also hailed the guidelines as “a seismic change,” acknowledging the “deadly impact of prison on pregnant women and their babies.”

The Ministry of Justice has distanced itself from the independent Sentencing Council’s decision, but sources said the recently established Women’s Justice Board is working to reduce the number of vulnerable women being sent to prison.

However, another aspect of the new guidance has sparked controversy, with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said to be “incandescent” over recommendations that judges should consider an offender’s ethnic background before sentencing. Magistrates and judges are now advised to seek a pre-sentence report for those from ethnic, cultural, or faith minorities.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick slammed the move, calling it “completely outrageous” and claiming it introduces a “two-tier approach to sentencing.”

Mahmood has written to the Sentencing Council urging it to reconsider. “As someone from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for any differential treatment before the law. There will never be a two-tier sentencing approach under my watch,” she said.

FORMER BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards has refused to return £200,000 of public money, despite calls for him to do so, it has been revealed.

BBC chairman Samir Shah told MPs that there was a moment when he believed Edwards “might do the right thing for a change” but said that expectation was not met. The comments came during a Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing, where the BBC’s handling of recent controversies was scrutinised.

Director-general Tim Davie confirmed that legal advice was sought on reclaiming the money, but there were no further steps the Corporation could take to retrieve it. “We’ve obviously asked many times, but he seems unwilling,” Dr Shah told MPs. “There was a moment we thought he might just do the right thing for a change, then he decided not to. It’s quite frustrating because I think he should have done it.”

Dr Shah added: “He could still do it. It’s not right. He’s taken licence fee-payers’ money and he knew what he’d done. He should return it now.”

Edwards, 63, who spent four decades at the BBC, was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence in September after admitting to accessing indecent photographs of children. The sentence, given at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, was delivered by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, who told Edwards that his “long-earned reputation is in tatters.”

Marilyn Hawes, the chief executive of Freedom From Abuse, said: “A sentence like this, which isn’t a sentence, what message is it giving to others who are out there doing exactly the same and worse?”

Edwards’ sentence will be suspended for two years, and he will be required to complete a 40-day rehabilitation programme. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, after being sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams.

Internet safety experts warn of growing threat

CHILDREN as young as 11 are being targeted by online sextortion gangs for the first time, experts have warned.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has described the trend as “deeply concerning” and said criminals are widening their efforts to trap young victims.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail where victims – often teenage boys, though cases involving girls are rising – are tricked into sending explicit images to fraudsters who contact them via social media and messaging platforms. The criminals then demand money, threatening to distribute the images if their demands are not met.

The IWF reported five confirmed cases last year involving victims aged 11 to 13, out of 175 total cases involving children under 17. While the total was slightly lower than the previous year’s 176, experts say the threat remains serious.

‘Children as young as eight targeted’

Last month, parents at a primary school were urged to check their children’s devices after an eight-year-old girl was reportedly targeted in a sextortion scam.

The school warned that an individual had been impersonating pupils on Snapchat, and police confirmed that an investigation was underway after multiple reports of indecent images being shared.

Tamsin McNally, IWF’s hotline manager, said the organisation had observed a disturbing new tactic used by criminals.

“They are now not only threatening to share images but also making it appear as if the victim is responsible for a sexual crime. This adds an extraordinary level of pressure, making victims more likely to comply with demands,” she said.

Sextortion cases reported in Wales

South Wales Police reported a rise in sextortion cases in 2024, with victims being blackmailed into paying money to prevent explicit images from being shared. Criminals often impersonated acquaintances on social media to manipulate individuals into sending intimate content.

The National Crime Agency also issued an alert to schools across Wales, warning of an increase in financially motivated sextortion targeting children and young people. Organised crime groups were identified as a key driver behind these scams, coercing victims into sending images before demanding payments under threat of exposure.

North Wales Police have since provided guidance on responding to sextortion attempts, urging victims not to comply with demands and to report incidents immediately.

Online blackmail gangs operate globally

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has previously warned that international cybercriminals are running sextortion scams from abroad, with West Africa and Nigeria identified as hotspots for these criminal networks.

Experts believe many children remain unaware that they can remove intimate images from the internet through a dedicated service designed to help victims. The ‘Report Remove’ tool, operated by the IWF and the NSPCC, allows children to anonymously flag explicit content so that tech platforms can take it down or prevent it from being uploaded.

In 2024, usage of the Report Remove tool surged, with 1,142 reports processed – a 44% increase from the previous year. Nearly half of the cases involved victims aged 14 to 15, while 151 of the 175 sextortion cases reported last year came through the tool.

One parent, speaking anonymously, said the service had been a “gamechanger” after their 16-year-old son was targeted by a sextortion gang.

Derek Ray-Hill, interim chief executive of the IWF, said: “These figures show just how ruthless offenders are in targeting our children. There has never been a greater need for services like Report Remove to protect young people from exploitation.”

Parents and children are urged to remain vigilant and to report any suspected sextortion attempts to police and online safety organisations.