Barnardo's CEO, Lynn Perry MBE, welcomes the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and calls on the government to act for lasting change.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is a statutory inquiry which was set up in 2015 for England and Wales. The final IICSA report was published on Thursday 20th October 2022. Chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, the Inquiry was set up due to serious concerns that some organisations had failed or were continuing to fail to protect children from sexual abuse. The remit of the inquiry has been wide-ranging following the launch of 15 investigations into a broad range of institutions.
This work, The Truth Project, was made up of three main areas - public hearings, research and analysis. The project has resulted in 87 recommendations for change including mandatory reporting, a redress scheme and the establishment of a Child Protection Authority for England. Barnardo’s has contributed to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
Barnardo’s CEO, Lynn Perry MBE, said: “This final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse comes at a pivotal moment and must lead to lasting change for victims of this abhorrent crime. We welcome the report’s call for a cabinet-level minister for children and the recommendation that the UK and Welsh Governments both guarantee an offer of specialist and therapeutic interventions for victims of child sexual abuse. We hope the Government now acts with urgency to bring forward the long-awaited Victims’ Bill, incorporating this guarantee alongside sufficient long-term funding for these services.
“The Inquiry’s recognition that child sexual abuse is now perpetrated in huge numbers online is also welcome and we hope the Government heeds its call for internet companies to provide age verification and for providers of internet search services and user-to-user services to pre-screen for known child sexual abuse in the Online Safety Bill. Our frontline services support children every day who have been abused and exploited online, and these extra measures would provide a crucial layer of protection in the fight against child sexual abuse online."