“Deep disappointment” shared over Government failure to implement recommendations from Child Sexual Abuse inquiry
The Child Sexual Abuse inquiry chair, Alexis Jay, and a number of other organisations have shared “deep disappointment” over the Government’s response to recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Childhood Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
The inquiry, which published its final report in October 2022, made recommendations to “better protect children from sexual abuse”, informed by the voices of victims and survivors.
The inquiry revealed failings by schools, local authorities and other institutions to protect and safeguard the children in their care.
In a joint statement from Professor Alexis Jay, and the Victims and Survivors Consultative Panel, it said: “We are deeply disappointed that the government has not accepted the full package of recommendations made in the final report. In some instances, the government has stated that a number of them will be subject to consultations, despite the extensive research and evidence-taking which the Inquiry carried out over seven years.
“The package announced by the government today (22 May) will not provide the protection from sexual abuse that our children deserve. We ask the government to reconsider and accept and enact all our recommendations in full.”
On 22 May, the government announced that a redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse is to be launched in England, to “recognise the trauma victims have suffered”.
As part of its response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the government revealed it is also:
- looking at ways to improve access to therapeutic support for victims and survivors
- improving the way police collect data on child sexual abuse to better understand the scale and nature of the crime
- driving forward the Online Safety Bill, "which will place clear legal duties on companies to remove child sexual abuse material and keep children safe on their services"
- reforming the child protection system to make sure children are better protected
- looking at options to extend the list of people barred from working with children
In some cases however, the government did not implement the inquiry’s specific recommendations, claiming that the proposal would be met by existing systems, planned reforms or potential future changes.
For example, the third recommendation of the inquiry to create a “cabinet level minister for children” received the response that the role is “already fulfilled through the work of the Secretary of State for Education”.
The Survivors Trust (TST) also shared “deep disappointment” with what they describe as the government’s “inadequate response” to the recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry.
It said: “The response lacks the detail and immediate action required to generate a much-needed culture change around how we as a society respond to child sexual abuse.”
Lottie Winson
