Rise in number of girls being identified as victims in county lines exploitation, data shows

Charities suggest ‘gendered understanding’ of crime means services often fail to recognise girls and young women as victims An increasing number of girls are being identified as victims of county lines exploitation, figures have shown. Data from Catch22, the charity that provides the national county lines support service, said girls and young women formed 22% of its caseload in 2025, up from 15% the previous year. The organisation is supporting the government in an attempted crackdown on the practice, as part of its county lines programme. The programme, launched in 2019 under the Conservatives and continued under Labour, is aimed at stopping gangs that transport drugs from urban areas to rural locations, often using dedicated phone lines. These gangs frequently force vulnerable young people to move drugs and money across the country. However, Catch22 said a “gendered understanding” of the problem meant services often fail to recognise girls and young women as victims. It said while about half of the boys referred to its county lines service received support from the National Referral Mechanism, a government project designed to help victims of modern slavery, this was the case for