Surrey is leading the way in supporting victims of‘ cuckooing’ through a specialist outreach service. Part of local charity Catalyst Support, the service has been running since 2018 and is the first of its kind in England. Cuckooing is when the homes of vulnerable people are taken over and used for criminal activities – in the same way that cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Befriending vulnerable individuals, fear tactics or manipulation may be used by the perpetrators to gain access to a person’ s home, often leaving the victims in unsafe situations or displacing them completely. This type of activity is closely linked to county lines drug trafficking, where people are used to supply drugs from
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major cities to suburban, rural and coastal areas.
The cuckooing outreach service was piloted in partnership with Surrey Police. Part of the impetus was the realisation that once perpetrators had been removed from the property, the vulnerable person was often left alone to get their confidence back and rebuild their life – and that there was a need to support them through this process. By seeing people in their own homes, when it is safe to do so, the team is able to get a clearer picture of what’ s going on for them.
The perpetrators will often initially befriend people to obtain entry to their property. Karen, a service manager at Catalyst Support leading the cuckooing outreach team, explains:‘ There’ s a stereotype people think of when they imagine cuckooing victims,
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but it can happen to anyone. It could be your family member or neighbour. Fifteen per cent of our clients have had no history of drug or alcohol use, and perpetrators can be local dealers as well as family members.’
LACK OF AWARENESS Many people have never heard of cuckooing until it happens to them.‘ I allowed what I thought was my friend into my property to stay,’ says one victim.‘ Never did I consent to them taking over my property and me being a prisoner in my own home. I’ ve never felt so scared and powerless. I’ d never heard of cuckooing and never thought my so-called friend could be my nightmare.’
Lisa Townsend, Surrey’ s police and crime commissioner, sees the lack of awareness around cuckooing
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There’ s a stereotype people think of when they imagine cuckooing victims, but it can happen to anyone. It could be your family member or neighbour.
manifest itself in victims struggling to self-report:‘ The harm caused to these victims is devastating. Troublingly, most victims of cuckooing will remain hidden, both from police and from agencies
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6 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • MAY 2025 |
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