Survivors of child abuse deserve better than yet another cover-up

Eileen Fairweather has given evidence to several child-abuse inquiries,
and always ended up wondering whether it was a wasted effort

Theresa May has announced a new inquiry into child sexual abuse – taking in the Civil Service, the BBC, the Churches, political parties and the public sector. To those of us who have campaigned against child-abuse cover-ups, it should be welcome news. But over the years, I have experienced many false dawns and dashed hopes. Only one thing will persuade me that the Government is serious about tackling Britain’s “VIP paedophile ring” – and that is when it sets up a nationally coordinated police and social services task force with the power, money and numbers to follow up the mountain of evidence that has been ignored for decades.

I have given evidence to several child-abuse inquiries, and always ended up wondering whether it was a wasted effort: all too many reports came out with platitudes about “drawing a line” under things, or claimed – wrongly – that the evidence had long since “gone cold”. After the scandal of systematic abuse in children’s homes in North Wales broke in the mid-Nineties, Sir Ronald Waterhouse spent three years taking evidence, and produced a 1,000-page report. Yet no one then was arrested. I have never forgotten ringing one of his officials and asking whether the inquiry would accept our evidence on the suspicious deaths – through alleged suicides and accidents – of some of the victims. No, he sighed, practically yawning.  (more...)

Survivors of child abuse deserve better than yet another cover-up

Post by Truth Alliance Foundation.