A major children’s charity has accused the Government of failing young victims of sexual abuse by having given only a “piecemeal” and “underwhelming” response a year after the final report of the long-running independent inquiry into the issue was published.
The NSPCC said there had been “little sign of meaningful change” 12 months after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) presented its findings.
The £186.6 million inquiry, set up in 2015, looked at 15 areas scrutinising institutional responses to child sexual abuse – including investigations into abuse in Westminster and the church, with more than 7,000 victims taking part.
A year on, there is little sign of meaningful change for child victims. Piecemeal responses from Government to a handful of IICSA’s recommendations are just tinkering at the edges of a struggling system— Sir Peter Wanless, NPSCC
But what should have been a “defining moment” for those who suffered abuse has instead resulted in a mere “tinkering at the edges of a struggling system”, the NSPCC said.
The NSPCC comments echo those of IICSA chairwoman Professor Alexis Jay and her fellow panel members who earlier this year said victims’ and survivors’ hopes will be “dashed yet again” and the “scourge of child sexual abuse will continue to increase unabated”.
In a letter to The Times in May, they told of “deep concern at the Government’s inadequate response” to their recommendations and predicted action may be deferred indefinitely “for the sake of other political priorities”.
They suggested the Government had purported to accept some of the inquiry’s recommendations “through what is little more than a very weak and, at times, apparently disingenuous official response”.
On Friday, the NSPCC described the Government’s response to the final report as “piecemeal, underwhelming” and said it is “failing child victims of sexual abuse”.
Responding to the report in May, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the Government had “risen to the inquiry’s challenge” in calling for “fundamental change” in tackling child sexual abuse.
She said: “We are accepting the need to act on 19 out of the inquiry’s 20 final recommendations.
“This includes driving work across Government to improve the victims’ experience of the criminal justice system, the criminal injuries compensation scheme, workforce regulation, access to records, consistent and compatible data and communications on the scale and nature of child sexual abuse.”
She said the introduction of a national compensation scheme for victims of child sexual abuse was a “landmark commitment” but also said change will take time.
But the Government ruled out calls for a specific minister for children in the Cabinet, saying the Education Secretary’s role already covers this, and added that while it accepts the need for a stronger safeguarding system, it believes the functions of a recommended child protection authority are already covered by other bodies.
A further update on progress on the accepted recommendations will be given to Parliament by the end of the year, the Home Office said.
The NSPCC said its helpline has been contacted the equivalent of once every hour with concerns about children being sexually abused in the past year, a 6% increase on the previous year – showing the need for action.
The charity is calling for a co-ordinated response to the IICSA across Government that includes “fundamental reform of the child protection system and investment in specialist, accredited, therapeutic support services for child victims”.
The organisation also accused the Government of “downgrading legislation for victims by transforming the promised Victims Bill into the Victims and Prisoners Bill, further diluting provisions for children impacted by sexual abuse”.
They called for the legislation to be amended “to place a duty on local authorities to provide sufficient and specific support for children and young people who are victims of sexual abuse, regardless of whether they are engaged with the criminal justice system”.
They added that legislation to support the expansion of so-called child houses where young victims can access health, criminal justice, social work and therapeutic support all under one roof should be brought forward.
Sir Peter Wanless, the charity’s chief executive, said: “IICSA deserved to be a defining moment for victims, survivors and children who are currently at risk of, or are experiencing, abuse.
“But a year on, there is little sign of meaningful change for child victims. Piecemeal responses from Government to a handful of IICSA’s recommendations are just tinkering at the edges of a struggling system.
“We need a step change in how we prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.
“Now is the time for a national mission to combat abuse which is rooted in the experiences of child victims, focuses on prevention and ensures there is support in place to help them recover and rebuild their lives.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Government is continuing to drive forward commitments made in our response to the independent inquiry. This includes making good progress on mandatory reporting, recently concluding the call for evidence, and now working through next steps.
“We will continue to engage with stakeholders, victims and survivors to ensure we are doing all we can to tackle this horrific crime.”
