A survivor in Wales has made a formal complaint about the way he was treated during an attempt to log his experiences with the nation’s child abuse inquiry. A lack of efficiency and a support worker who broke down in tears whilst on the phone with him have left the survivor feeling let down and critical of the level of support at the inquiry.
An urgent review has since been carried out, and an apology has been made to the survivor.
This event has been translated by some as yet another sign that the inquiry is doomed to fail, however Chair Professor Jay insists the inquiry is not in crisis.
Whilst this latest incident is unfortunate, given the sheer scale and size of the inquiry, one complaint about the support it is offering through its Truth Project doesn’t seem like cause for alarm at this stage.
It might do us good to remember that whilst other child abuse inquiries both at home and abroad have come and gone, with little groundbreaking insight, this Inquiry is attempting to do something unique – it hopes to get to the root causes of child sexual abuse in society not just in England, but around the world.
What do you think?
The victim said he had concerns about other people who had come forward
I was told by a member of the Secretariat that 500 survivors have come forward.
But to break down in tears over the phone is only human.
We can only accompany someone in their emotions in terms of what we’ve experienced ourselves.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for Truth Project workers to KNOW what survivors have gone through, how they have compensated and what they have accumulated over the years!
Compassion, Empathy and Reconciliation must be our emotional attitude imbued by Christmas, I feel.
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I echo your philosophy Sabine. We are only human and to feel sorrow and empathise with the trauma such as these victims must have suffered is certainly human.
If you experience no sorrow or trauma when you are part of such revelations, you are not really listening. But, the listener cannot let personal feelings get in the way of giving impartial advice or making a true and honourable assessment or report. It is what doctors and therapists have to do all the time.
it is also why they also have to undergo some mental outpouring – counselling from time to time.
Unloading mental anguish is normal – it’s just that we have to be particular to whom we unload which is why, so often, doctors and therapists do so to each other during professional ‘get-togethers’ where patients remain anonymous, but the case is discussed.
Remember too that weeping is nature’s safety valve for releasing tensions and distress caused by trauma. Tears are not a badge of shame.
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Reblogged this on Musings of a Penpusher and commented:
Tears are not a badge of shame.
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I am a child abuse victim and we are treated like s**t. Two consultant forensic psychiatrists, who also report in family proceedings, have concluded that I was unharmed by three years of sexual abuse as a child.
The medical condition ICD-10 F94.1 Reactive Attachment Disorder of Childhood makes consensual child sex legal. It is not abuse, not harmful, cannot be treated and therefore is not a crime (http://apps.who.int/classifications/icd10/browse/2010/en#/F90-F98).
The peados can bring a defence of consent which nobody wants to publicise so it is covered up.
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