‘Frustrated’: Inquiry chair criticises delay in child sex abuse reforms

The Chair of the Child Sex Abuse Inquiry says she is “disappointed and frustrated” that only two of her 20 recommendations have been implemented, three years after the final report was published.

Speaking to BBC’s Newsnight Professor Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry, said her feelings were “nothing to those of victims and adult survivors who have put their trust in this process”.

The inquiry handed down 20 recommendations in October 2022 after a seven-year investigation found institutional failings and tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales.

The probe also described child sexual abuse as an “epidemic” across the two nations.

Prof Jay described the process as “drawn out” and said it had led to “a loss of confidence” among victims and survivors.

“Especially with the last administration, it certainly has raised questions about what exactly is the priority that government has attached to this appalling heinous criminal acts that have been committed against children,” she said.

Government ministers have faced increased pressure after the wait for recommendations to be implemented from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) hit the headlines in January.

“So many victims have a lifelong impact of what happened to them, one of which is they lose faith in the institutions and in people in authority,” Prof Jay said.

“This could serve to damage that yet further, the confidence they have that their situation will be recognised and addressed.”

Billionaire X owner Elon Musk was among the critics of the UK’s handling of child grooming scandals.

Prof Jay told the public broadcaster that while the current government was “engaging well” but was struggling to keep victims and survivors informed about how the recommendations were being implemented.

“People can test out reviews about things and then you hear nothing again about it. It doesn’t mean nothing’s happening, but we’re not kept informed of it,” she said.

“And I have to say again, for victims and survivors, this is very, very unhelpful. It’s not difficult to keep people informed.”

In January, the Government committed to at least five local inquiries into grooming gangs and for police forces to reopen cold case investigations, and launched the rapid audit by Baroness Casey, who published her findings in June.

In September, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, told MPs the Government was in the “final stages” of appointing a chairperson for a new national inquiry, with a panel of survivors and victims involved in the final selection process.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer committed to launching a fresh national inquiry to investigate the institutional failures in June.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Phillips said: “Earlier this year, I set out how we are taking action on the recommendations Alexis Jay made in her inquiry. This includes creating a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse, establishing a new Child Protection Authority for England that will make our children’s safety a priority, and making it easier for victims and survivors to get an apology and to pursue claims in the civil courts.”

Ms Phillips said in addition to the national inquiry, a new operation overseen by the National Crime Agency had already flagged more than 1,200 previously closed cases for review.