Child Abuse Inquiry Panel Member Accuses Counsel of Intimidation

By Alan Travis and Sandra Laville
The Guardian
January 20, 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/20/child-abuse-inquiry-panel-member-accuses-counsel-intimidation

Sharon Evans gives evidence to the home affairs select committee on Tuesday. Photograph: PA

The chaos behind the scenes of the official inquiry into child abuse has been laid bare with accusations of bullying and silencing members as the investigation struggled to get off the ground.

One panel member, Sharon Evans, an abuse survivor and chief executive of the Dot Com children’s charity, told MPs the inquiry’s counsel, Ben Emmerson QC, had in effect taken it over in the absence of an appointed chairman, and had made threats and intimidated panel members.

She made the accusations to the Commons home affairs select committee as the home secretary, Theresa May, considers whether to disband the independent panel and create a fresh statutory inquiry.

The inquiry, set up in July in the wake of the Jimmy Savile, Rotherham and other child sex abuse scandals, still has no chairman after May’s first two nominees were both forced to step down because of their connections to the establishment.

Evans was giving MPs an update on the progress of the inquiry along with other inquiry members – Drusilla Sharpling and Prof Jenny Pearce – and an adviser, Prof Alexis Jay, who wrote the report revealing that there were 1,400 child sex abuse victims over 16 years in the Rotherham area.

Evans told the MPs that even before their Commons hearing on Tuesday afternoon there had been an attempt by the inquiry secretariat to ensure panel members did not voice any internal criticism. “I feel that I was told today that we must speak with a collective voice. I feel that would prevent me from answering your questions honestly.”

She also claimed she had been told a letter she wanted to send to the home secretary must be rewritten before it was despatched and complained that panel members were being prevented from responding publicly to allegations about their conduct.

The committee chairman, Keith Vaz, said he shared her concern and warned panel members they would be in contempt of parliament if they did not reply honestly to questions. He said the committee would ask Emmerson to respond to Evans’s accusations.

Two other panel members, Pearce and Sharpling, expressed greater confidence in the running of the inquiry but agreed that a new chairman and statutory powers were essential for its work to continue.

Jay said there was a strong public perception that the independent panel was not focused or well-led.

Sharpling said they had to postpone a Birmingham “listening event” until March because they were not in a position to answer questions about their future.

Outside the committee hearingon Tuesday, the Home Office said there was an ongoing investigation into the behaviour of two panel members. The investigation began after an abuse survivor, Andrew Lavery, complained he had been sent threatening emails by Graham Wilmer, a panel member who is also a survivor of child abuse.

There are also complaints about panel member Barbara Hearn over her communications with Peter McKelvie, a former child protection manager, whose allegations led to the launch of the ongoing police inquiry Operation Fernbridge.

The Home Office said it was taking legal advice on the complaints and the investigation was continuing.

In a statement on Tuesday night, Emmerson denied any bullying or intimidation, calling the allegations “baseless.” A statement from the panel, excluding Evans, rejected any suggestion it had been intimidated.