Final report published of child sexual abuse inquiry

The final report of a seven-year-long study into child sexual abuse – which included a Rochdale investigation – has been published, which demands urgent action to ensure children are better protected from sexual abuse.

Over the last seven years, victims and survivors of child sexual abuse have bravely shared their experiences with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and shed light on the number of failures by institutions which should have protected them.

Reflecting IICSA’s unprecedented body of work, including the findings of 15 separate investigations which held public hearings, a unique research dataset, and over 6,200 accounts of child sexual abuse shared with the Truth Project, the report makes 20 powerful recommendations to government and other institutions, complementing the 87 recommendations already made throughout the inquiry’s lifetime.

The 20 recommendations made are designed to tackle weaknesses in organisations and practices which have left children vulnerable to abuse, exposed them to harm or denied them access to justice.

Three recommendations form the centrepiece of this final report:

• A new law of mandatory reporting making it a legal requirement for those who work in regulated activity or work in a position of trust to report child sexual abuse;
• The creation of a Child Protection Authority (CPA) in England and in Wales to secure a much stronger focus on the complex work of child protection in the relevant institutions and statutory agencies;
• A national redress scheme for England and for Wales, to provide monetary redress for child sexual abuse for those who have been let down by state and non state institutions in the past.

The report sets out the devastating scale of child sexual abuse, both past and present, describing the extent of the potential crimes facing babies, toddlers, children and young people.

As the inquiry’s work over the past seven years has demonstrated, child sexual abuse has been hidden from public view for decades and it remains under-reported and under-identified to this day.

Children have been subject to the most vile and painful acts, threatened, beaten and humiliated, with institutions often choosing to prioritise their personal and institutional reputations above the welfare of those they were duty bound to protect, concealing crimes from the authorities, failing to record allegations and ‘moving on’ known abusers.

Blame was frequently assigned to the victims who were treated as if they were unworthy of protection.

The report highlights that the pain and suffering victims and survivors endured often had significant impacts across all aspects of their lives. Relationships, as well as physical, emotional and mental health were damaged, in some cases beyond repair. Some institutions did not respond at all, whilst some others merely offered insincere apologies and inadequate provision of support and counselling.

 

 

Cambridge House, Knowl View and Rochdale

The Cambridge House, Knowl View and Rochdale investigation focused on child sexual abuse in Rochdale and institutional failures to protect vulnerable boys in care.

This included Cambridge House hostel for boys and young men where the inquiry heard about the predatory activities of Cyril Smith. Between 1962 and 1965, Smith, who was not medically qualified, conducted ‘medical examinations’ on a number of boys, including of their genitalia. Smith’s prominence and standing in Rochdale in the mid-1960s allowed him to exert pressure on others locally, in particular to keep quiet about any allegations of abuse.

Years later, in 1998 and 1999, for reasons unconnected to Smith’s position, the Crown Prosecution Service wrongly advised that Smith should not be charged. Knowl View School was basic and bleak, providing neither care nor education. Staff were at best complacent, and at worst complicit, in the abuse they knew to be taking place. Senior council officials in social services and education departments were at fault for failing to treat the problem of sexual abuse at Knowl View School with any urgency.

In evidence, the council leader lied to the inquiry when he denied all knowledge of the issues about child sexual abuse at Knowl View.
 

Read more: Richard Farnell lied to Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual AbusePublished: 12 April 2018

Police investigations into other individuals involved in the sexual exploitation of boys from Knowl View School in the town centre toilets also resulted in no charges being brought, despite the police knowing their identities and having obtained disclosures from the young victims.

These failures, along with those relating to the allegations against Smith, deprived victims and complainants of the opportunity of seeing perpetrators being brought to justice.
 

Read more: Council response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)Published: 17 April 2018

 

Read more: Knowl View whistleblower addresses Independent Inquiry findingsPublished: 13 April 2018

 

Read more about the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in more detail

 

 

A global crisis

Within the lifetime of this inquiry, the scale of online-facilitated child sexual abuse has increased dramatically year on year.

In the UK, there has been a rapid increase in the amount of self-generated child sexual imagery, the age at which children face heightening risks of abuse continues to become younger and younger and, worldwide, the number of referrals to law enforcement runs into the tens of millions.

IICSA says this is not just a national crisis but a global one.

The report makes clear that child protection must be given much greater priority in public life. Within the criminal justice system more must be done to reduce the inordinate delays faced by those involved in child sexual abuse cases.

Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, said: “For too long, child sexual abuse has been considered a problem of the past, despite lifelong impacts on its young victims.

“Its extent cannot be underestimated; the sexual abuse of children is an epidemic that leaves tens of thousands of victims in its poisonous wake and some will never recover.

“Across our investigations, research programme and Truth Project, we heard time and time again how allegations of abuse were ignored, victims were blamed and institutions prioritised their reputations over the protection of children. The nature and scale of the abuse we encountered were horrifying and deeply disturbing.

“As a society, we simply cannot file it away and consider it a historical aberration when so much of what we learned suggests it is an ever-growing problem, exacerbated by the current and future threat of the internet.

“The publication of this report is the culmination of seven years of work. To the victims and survivors who have made such an immense contribution to our work, we will be forever grateful. I urge the UK government, the Welsh Government and all other relevant institutions to implement the inquiry’s recommendations as a matter of urgency.

“Unless we are prepared to accept a world where our children, and their children, are always in danger of becoming victims of this terrible crime, action must be taken immediately.”

The government will respond in full to the inquiry’s report within six months.

Home Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “I am incredibly grateful to the thousands of victims and survivors who have bravely come forward to share their experiences with the inquiry, their bravery will not be forgotten.

“I will keep their voices front and centre in everything I do and I will ensure that the findings of the inquiry, and their invaluable testimonies, are acted upon.

“To date, we have already taken action to tackle this abhorrent crime and learn from the lessons of the past, but I know there is much more to do. This is the start of a new chapter in our efforts to put an end to this terrible crime.

“I want to give assurances – where we can act quicker, we will. I will use all available levers to protect our children, to improve the law enforcement and criminal justice response, provide the support victims and survivors deserve and ensure all institutions and leaders are properly held to account.”

The inquiry was established by the government seven years ago to investigate failings of state and non-state organisations over several decades, across England and Wales, to protect and safeguard children from sexual abuse and make recommendations for reform.

The full 468-page report can be found here, with shorter seven- and one-page summaries.