People guilty of abusing children, or failing to intervene in abuse, will be publicly shamed, the head of a British public inquiry has declared. She invited victims – who are expected to run into thousands – to come forward and tell their stories.
New Zealand judge, Justice Lowell Goddard will enjoy full access to files from the British intelligence agencies and the police, though she has already issued a warning to public bodies not to shred documentation in a bid to ensure that nothing is destroyed now.
The £18m inquiry, which has been demanded for years and which struggled to find someone to lead it because of charges that candidates suffered conflicts of interest, will not have the power to prosecute.
However, Goddard told the opening session of the inquiry’s work: “The naming of people that have been responsible for the sexual abuse of children or institutions that have been at fault in failing to protect children from abuse, is a core aspect of the inquiry’s function.”
Evidence
The Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has been set up by British home secretary Theresa May under the 2005 Inquiries Act, which does Goddard the power to compel witnesses to appear before her to give evidence.
No-one will be permitted to block the inquiry, the judge said. The British monarchy, politics, churches, schools, hospitals and the media, among other quarters in British public life, will be examined, she added.
“This is the largest and most ambitious public inquiry ever established in England and Wales. I am determined to ensure that it does not get bogged down in delays,” she said, adding that insurance companies who denied compensation to victims will be called to account.
“Whistle-blowers, who are often afraid of coming forward with information, will not be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act, following written pledges given to the judge by British public bodies, the police and intelligence agencies.
A “truth project” – run on the lines of Australia’s Royal Commission into Child Abuse – will be created, which will enable victims to tell their personal stories at six centres throughout the UK, she said.
Though she cannot prosecute, evidence of individual acts of child abuse will be passed onto the National Crime Agency, which is co-ordinating nearly 700 current investigations – including over 200 that make allegations against prominent individuals.
So far, many victims’ groups remain unconvinced about the inquiry’s merits, following decades of official refusal to investigate – despite countless allegations that abuse involving influential figures was rife at childrens’ homes throughout the country.
