May issues grovelling apology to child abuse victims over botched handling of paedophile inquiry

Theresa May today apologised for her failure to appoint a chairman to oversee
the Government's inquiry into historic allegations of child abuse

Theresa May today apologised to child abuse victims let down by her failure to secure a chairman to oversee the Government's inquiry into historic paedophile allegations.

The Home Secretary pleaded with survivors of abuse to work with her to get the inquiry back on track following the dramatic resignation of Fiona Woolf, who stepped down on Friday over her links to the Tory peer Leon Brittan.

Mrs Woolf was the second inquiry chairman to stand down after Baroness Butler Sloss was forced to quit because her brother Michael Havers was a minister in Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s.

The Home Secretary said: 'Almost four months after I announced my intention to establish a panel inquiry it is obviously very disappointing that we do not yet have a panel chairman and for that I want to tell survivors that I am sorry.'

Mrs May set up the inquiry in the summer to investigate allegations that there had been an establishment cover up of child abuse in the 1980s and 1990s.  (more...)

May issues grovelling apology to child abuse victims over botched handling of paedophile inquiry