Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Child sex abuse: Failing to report it should be made illegal - major inquiry

Child sex abuse: Failing to report it should be made illegal - major inquiry

Anyone who works with children and does not report child sexual abuse should be prosecuted, the final report of a huge, seven-year inquiry has recommended.

It called the nature and scale of abuse in England and Wales "horrific and deeply disturbing" with children "threatened, beaten and humiliated".

The inquiry began in 2015 and has cost £186m with evidence from 7,000 victims.

Chairwoman Prof Alexis Jay described an "epidemic that leaves thousands of victims in its poisonous wake".

Prof Jay said some victims would never recover from their experiences.

"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," she said.

"We cannot simply 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 current and future threat of the internet."

Former prime minister Theresa May told BBC News she had "no idea" of the scale of child abuse when she set up the inquiry as home secretary, and was "absolutely horrified" when it became increasingly clear.

"The sad thing is very often children were raising this. Children were saying that this was happening to them and we weren't listening," she added.

The report says institutions too often "prioritised their personal and institutional reputations above the welfare of those they were duty bound to protect.

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

Some institutions did not respond at all to the inquiry's investigations, while others merely offered "insincere apologies and inadequate provision of support and counselling".

The inquiry has been criticised for focusing too much on past events, but IICSA's report said online abuse had increased in recent years and there were many lessons for modern organisations to learn.

"Child protection must be given a much greater priority in public life," it concludes.

The inquiry says its 20 key recommendations need to be accepted by government as a "matter of urgency".

These include a new law placing a duty to report child abuse on anyone who witnessed or was told about it by children or perpetrators.

Not doing so would result in a criminal offence unless the behaviour was consensual and non-abusive between young people of similar ages.

This would cover "anyone working with children", an inquiry official said, as defined under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

But the pressure group Mandate Now says this recommendation is "very limited".

The group wants it to be an offence to fail to report any signs that children are being abused, such as recognisable changes in behaviour or mental health.

Mandate Now say the inquiry's recommendation is "mandatory reporting in name only".

The inquiry also argues for new child protection authorities for England and Wales - and a new, single scheme for compensating victims of abuse.

It dismissed concerns that victims might "lie for money" as "misplaced and offensive".

The inquiry's final, over-arching report was published on Thursday. It has already published reports highlighting abuse across a range of institutions, including religious organisations, politics, children's homes and schools.

It also highlights "undue deference of police, prosecutors and political parties" towards prominent individuals accused of abuse.

The report says the Roman Catholic church presided over a "sorry history of child sexual abuse," - between 1970 and 2015, there were 3,000 complaints and 133 convictions. Millions were paid in compensation to victims.

In the Church of England there were 390 convictions dating back to the 1940s.

In other religions there had been "significant barriers to effective reporting of child sexual abuse, including victim blaming and notions of shame and honour".


The inquiry: Key facts


The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal by then Home Secretary Theresa May.

Hundreds of people came forward after the presenter's death in 2011 to say he had abused them as children.

The public inquiry was given a broad remit to investigate historical allegations of child abuse, dating back to the 1950s, as well as claims that authorities, including the police, failed to properly investigate these allegations.

About 7,000 victims of abuse have provided testimonies and 725 people gave evidence over 325 days of public hearings, contributing to 15 investigations and dozens of reports.

The inquiry examined claims of abuse at children's homes including, Cambridge House and Knowl View, in Rochdale.

In Nottinghamshire children's homes there were 350 complainants about abuse by staff.

Another massive abuse scandal centred on Lambeth Council in south London where the inquiry said it was "hard to comprehend the cruelty and sexual abuse inflicted on children".

The inquiry has identified particular concerns about boarding schools and some specialist schools, such as those teaching music and highlights "deeply distressing cases" where the school was seen as more important than victims.

The inquiry said the post-war programme of child migration to Australia and other Commonwealth countries had been "deeply flawed" and caused "lifelong damage to children".

When the inquiry began there were fervent rumours that a "Westminster paedophile ring" had abused children. IICSA uncovered no evidence of that, despite finding many "individual perpetrators".

Sir Peter Wanless, chief executive of children's charity, the NSPCC, called for "political leadership to turn this inquiry into lasting change".

Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper called the findings "harrowing" and urged the government to act immediately to prevent known abuse cases being disguised or covered up by powerful institutions.

The government says it will respond in full to the report within six months.

Home Secretary Grant Shapps, who took up the office on Wednesday, pledged to keep the voices of victims and survivors "front and centre in everything I do".

Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis said the government would continue to transform the justice system's response to these heinous crimes, locking up child abusers for longer, making sure predators cannot use sports or religious roles to harm young people and hugely increasing funding for support services so no victim suffers alone."


Clare Devlin spoke to the BBC about her experience of sexual abuse as a child by her father, a senior judge


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
×