Recommendations to better protect children from sexual abuse
Date published: 01 May 2018
Child Sexual Abuse - It’s Not Okay
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has published its interim report, making 18 recommendations to better protect children from sexual abuse.
The national inquiry has so far held five public hearings and seven seminars and published reports setting out the findings from two public hearings and nine research reports. Over 1,000 people, including many victims and survivors, have participated in the IICSA’s Truth Project.
Using comprehensive research analysis, the interim report identifies society’s reluctance to openly and frankly discuss child sexual abuse, calling for this to be addressed. It also identifies the lack of transparency by some leaders on the failure of their institutions to protect children from sexual abuse, which was highlighted in the report about Cambridge House and Knowl View residential school.
Amongst the recommendations include: a joint inspection of compliance with the Victims’ Code, revised rules for Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, a register of public liability insurers to assist claimants in CSA cases, special protections for vulnerable witnesses, national policy for training and using chaperones in treating children in healthcare services, ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (also known as the ‘Lanzarote Convention’) and implementing it, culture change within the police service, ensuring care staff working in children’s homes are professionally registered, registered professionals who pose a risk or harm to children be barred from working with children across all sectors
The chairwoman and panel also recommends that the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office work together to establish current levels of public expenditure, and the effectiveness of that expenditure on services for child victims and adult survivors of child sexual abuse in England.
Additionally, the report also suggests apologies to former child migrants, better management of records and establishing a financial redress scheme for them.
No recommendations were made when the Rochdale report was published earlier this month as the inquiry is one of three investigations currently being undertook that focuses on events within named local authorities. The other two are Children in the Care of Nottinghamshire Councils and Children in the Care of Lambeth Council.
Professor Alexis Jay, chairwoman of the Inquiry, said: “We have much work still to do and evidence to hear - we will hold a further eight public hearings in the next 12 months alone, but we are making good progress.
“I indicated in December 2016 that I expected the Inquiry to have made substantial progress by 2020. I believe we are on target to do that and to make recommendations which should help to ensure that children are better protected from sexual abuse in the future.”
The Inquiry into abuse at Cambridge House Hostel and Knowl View residential school, held during October 2017, came to a number of damning conclusions, including “no deliberate cover-up at Knowl View” and that then-leader of the council, Richard Farnell, lied when giving evidence.
Over 50 witnesses gave evidence and 19,669 pages of evidence disclosed to the 15 core participants.
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