UK Officials Urged to Act on Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry Demands
Campaigners say government inaction on child sexual abuse recommendations is unacceptable
Child Sexual Abuse, UK, Grooming Gangs, Yvette Cooper, IICSA
London: Campaigners met with government officials months ago to push for action on the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. They’re frustrated that nothing happened until recently.
One campaigner, who was at the meeting in September, called out the government for only reacting after a political stir caused by Elon Musk’s posts about grooming gangs. It’s like they needed a celebrity to get them moving!
Last Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper finally promised to make some changes based on the inquiry’s recommendations from 2022. She talked about mandatory reporting for child sexual abuse, better data collection, and longer prison sentences for offenders.
But there’s still no word on other important recommendations. A government source claimed they were already working on these issues before the uproar from Musk’s posts, and they had discussed progress in a meeting back in December.
On Saturday, a spokesperson announced plans to create a “victims’ and survivors’ panel” to help implement the inquiry’s suggestions. It’s about time they got some input from those affected!
Labour is facing criticism from the Conservatives and Reform UK for not supporting a new national inquiry into grooming gangs. Meanwhile, the Tories are being called out for not acting on the inquiry’s recommendations when they were in power.
A Home Office spokesperson insisted they’re committed to making real changes for victims and are working hard to implement the inquiry’s findings. They’re engaging with survivors’ groups and campaigners to push this forward.
The inquiry, which lasted seven years, focused on grooming gangs, but only a few recommendations were actually acted upon by the Conservative government.
Prof. Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry, has urged for action instead of more investigations. She expressed her frustration over the politicization of child sexual exploitation in a recent interview.
When asked if Musk’s posts had prompted the government to act, she acknowledged that the recent attention might have sped things up, but she had already been in talks with them.
Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham, is determined to push the government to follow through on all the inquiry’s recommendations. She feels like they’re letting victims down and wants action, not just more inquiries.
Champion also criticized the current compensation system for victims, saying it’s inadequate. The rules require claims to be made within two years unless there are “exceptional circumstances,” which is tough for many victims.
The inquiry called for a new compensation scheme, but the Conservatives didn’t set it up, citing potential costs. Recent reports suggest that compensating victims could cost the government between £5 billion and £10 billion.
A Home Office spokesperson said they’re still working on the remaining recommendations and are focused on making meaningful changes for victims. They’re evaluating the costs of implementing all the suggestions.