Action IICSA recommendations, it’s not the time for another national abuse inquiry

Leigh Day has acted for survivors of abuse for several decades, and in that time, there has been plenty of political discourse around tackling the endemic of child abuse. However, the discussion which has taken place in recent days appears to largely be descending into political point scoring, whilst clear recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) 2+ years ago continue to gather dust. Another national inquiry is not necessary now, it is the time to action the previous inquiry’s recommendations.

IICSA was wide-ranging in scope and cost over £185million. It was announced by then Home Secretary Theresa May in July 2014, and it went on to consider institutional responses to allegations of child abuse by spotlighting certain organisations as illustrative examples. Amongst other, investigative strands included specific religious bodies, some individual local authorities, exploitation by organised networks, and accountability and reparations for victims and survivors. The inquiry took seven years from its inception to the final report, with 20 recommendations eventually being made by the panel in October 2022.

The range or recommendations included: 1) the introduction of mandatory reporting, being the introduction of a criminal sanction for failure to report allegations of child abuse in specified employment (e.g. teachers); 2) registration of care staff in residential care and youth offender institutions; 3) the creation of a Child Protection Authority, to provide advice to Government on child protection and inspect institutions as necessary; 4) specialist therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse; and 5) establish a national redress scheme for victims and survivors in England and Wales to access compensation.

Despite the panel noting that the recommendations were a matter of urgency, there has been little progress made towards implementing most of the 20 recommendations. Instead, consultations were opened and closed without much other action.

Moreover, alarmingly, we have also recently heard of funding cuts for organisations offering support to survivors of abuse on the ground. This reported pulling of central funds would be the latest concerning lens through which we should looking when scrutinising successive governments’ responses to tackling child abuse once and for all.

It is a sorry state of affairs.

Now, with considerable influence from overseas, the major political parties are once again discussing inquiries into child abuse. However, the discourse is largely focussed on the widespread nature of grooming gangs within the UK, with two opposition parties calling for a new national inquiry on the issue. This is despite the apparent continued failure by successive governments to make meaningful progress to adopt the vast majority of IICSA’s recommendations.

This week Professor Alexis Jay, Chair of IICSA, has called on the government to set out a clear timeline for the implementation of IICSA’s recommendations, and raised concerns that more inquiries could delay this further.

Whilst the recent discourse has energised political pledges to implement IICSA recommendations, which is long, long overdue from both the former Conservative and current Labour governments, it is not hard to understand why many survivors are voicing concerns that the trauma of children has seemingly been turned into political point scoring. These concerns feel even more pertinent given the reported cuts to organisations offering support to survivors we have been made aware of.

It is time to move away from political point scoring and instead focus on what is best for those victims and survivors who have been subjected to abuse, and to protect future generations of children by ensuring we do not repeat mistakes of the past. The time for learning lessons is long over, and nothing but concrete action from herein will be good enough.