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Page updated: 13 Sep 2011

Mate crime

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Vulnerable people being groomed by those who pretend to be their friends before being exploited by them financially, physically or sexually – 'mate crime'.

There is often drug or alcohol misuse in the life of the perpetrator of mate crime.
Examples range from: 

  • Perpetrators routinely going to a vulnerable persons house and clearing their cupboards of food and alcohol
  • People being persuaded to part with or having their benefits taken from them
  • Being exploited sexually or coerced into prostitution 
  • Being physically harmed for the amusement of others 
  • Having their homes used as a place where for others to meet, gather, sleep, take drugs or hold parties to having their home taken over altogether by someone else 
  • Women can be sexually exploited by men who pretend to be their boyfriend

In other cases, vulnerable adults may be asked to look after a package that contains drugs, guns or ammunition. Or they may go shoplifting with their new “friends” to support the friends drug or alcohol dependency, only to be caught by the police.

The vulnerable adult may not realise that what is happening is wrong. There can be feelings of, 'He's my friend, that's what friends do'.

Many vulnerable adults have few friends and for some vulnerable people, having any friends is better than no friends at all. Mate crime centre’s around issues of self-belief and self-worth in the vulnerable person. Vulnerable people will often think it's all right for people to walk all over, because that's what's happened to them the whole of their lives.

For help or support contact:

Greater Manchester Police - 0161 872 5050                                                                           Designated Nurse for Vulnerable Adults - 0161 873 6084
Trafford Council - 0161 912 3374

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