• About
    • Privacy Policy
  • GSW
  • In Dad’s Shoes
    • An Overview
    • Invitation
    • Media
    • Photos
    • Press Release
    • Soft Launch
    • Speeches
    • Summary
  • Media Coverage
  • Parliamentary Debates
  • Voice of the Child Podcasts

Researching Reform

Researching Reform

Daily Archives: May 16, 2015

Former Head Of Child Abuse Inquiry Says Investigation Is Deceiving Survivors

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by Natasha in child abuse inquiry

≈ 12 Comments

Baroness Butler-Sloss, who was very briefly Chair of what is now the Statutory Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse, has made a series of critical comments about the Inquiry, at a recent Chatpolitics event.

Speaking at the event, Butler-Sloss, whose statements were recorded, said:

“The real problem about this inquiry is the victims have now been given a false view that they’re all going to be heard.

“There are an enormous number of victims out there, and of course they won’t all be heard. I am absolutely sure that they will not be pleased with the result.”

At first glance, the comment appears to be a rather poor show of sour grapes. Butler-Sloss was forced to stand down as Chair for the Inquiry after it emerged that her brother Sir Michael Havers was Attorney General at a time when some of the worst alleged abuses in the 1980s took place. Her less than sensitive communications with survivors and her passionate defense of the Church, were conflicts which also caused concern.

The pointed attack on the Inquiry though, is clear. Butler-Sloss accuses the Inquiry panel and the Home Secretary of giving victims false hope that their voices will be heard and their cases looked at. Quite how she comes to this conclusion is not clear, but if our Inquiry is set to be anything like Australia’s own investigation into child sexual abuse, there should be plenty of forums for victims and survivors to speak out.

The sentiment that victims and survivors won’t be pleased with the result is yet another muddled thought that makes it virtually impossible to tell whether she’s referring to all victims, the ones she thinks won’t be heard, the Inquiry itself or the possibility that all those with cases won’t all be able to speak out.

The report also suggests that Butler-Sloss considers the Inquiry will be doomed to fail. Quite whether this was something she actually said, or has been inferred from the above statements is not clear, but there is some truth in that.

The Inquiry is going to need to offer something new, radical and brave in the face of an ever-growing list of Inquiries and repetitive recommendations, which no one wants to see appear in print again.

The only way this investigation can make a difference, is if it gets to the very heart of child sexual abuse and our seeming inability to shield our children from it.

Share this:

  • WhatsApp
  • Pocket
  • Telegram
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 7,426 other followers

Contact Researching Reform

Huff Post Contributer

For Litigants in Person

Child Welfare Debates

May 2015
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr   Jun »

Children In The Vine : Stories From The Family Justice System

Categories

  • Adoption
  • All Party Parliamentary Group on Family Law and The Court of Protection
  • Articles
  • Big Data
  • Bills
  • Case Study
  • child abuse
  • child abuse inquiry
  • child welfare
  • Children
  • Children In The Vine
  • Circumcision
  • Civil Partnerships
  • Consultation
  • Conversations With…
  • Corporal Punishment
  • CSA
  • CSE
  • Data Pack
  • Domestic Violence
  • Encyclopaedia on Family and The Law
  • event
  • Family Law
  • Family Law Cases
  • FGM
  • FOI
  • forced adoption
  • Foster Care
  • Fudge of the Week
  • Fultemian Project
  • Huffington Post
  • Human Rights
  • IGM
  • Inquiry
  • Interesting Things
  • Interview
  • Judge of the Week
  • Judges
  • judicial bias
  • Law to lust for
  • legal aid
  • LexisNexis Family Law
  • LIP Service
  • LIPs
  • Marriage
  • McKenzie Friends
  • MGM
  • News
  • Notes
  • petition
  • Picture of the Month
  • Podcast
  • Question It
  • Random Review
  • Real Live Interviews
  • Research
  • Researching Reform
  • social services
  • social work
  • Spotlight
  • Stats
  • Terrorism
  • The Buzz
  • The Times
  • Troubled Families Programme
  • Twitter Conversations
  • Update
  • Voice of the Child
  • Voice of the Child Podcast
  • Westminster Debate
  • Who's Who Cabinet Ministers
  • Your Story

Recommended

  • Blawg Review
  • BlogCatalog
  • DaddyNatal
  • DadsHouse
  • Divorce Survivor
  • Enough Abuse UK
  • Family Law Week
  • Family Lore
  • Flawbord
  • GeekLawyer's Blog
  • Head of Legal
  • Just for Kids Law
  • Kensington Mums
  • Law Diva
  • Legal Aid Barristers
  • Lib Dem Lords
  • Lords of The Blog
  • Overlawyered
  • PAIN
  • Paul Bernal's Blog
  • Public Law Guide
  • Pupillage Blog
  • Real Lawyers Have Blogs
  • Story of Mum
  • Sue Atkins, BBC Parenting Coach
  • The Barrister Blog
  • The Magistrate's Blog
  • The Not So Big Society
  • Tracey McMahon
  • UK Freedom of Information Blog
  • WardBlawg

Archives

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: