Legal action threat to government over 'failure' to widen Scots child abuse inquiry, by Martin Williams, Herald ScotlandMartWilliams, Senior News Reporter / Monday 16 November 2015 (November 16, 2015)

Legal action threat to government over 'failure' to widen Scots child abuse inquiry

COURT action is being threatened to force the government to widen its inquiry into historical allegations of child abuse in Scotland.

Survivors group White Flowers Alba said it was seeking a judicial review because it says the inquiry will not look at all cases.

White Flowers Alba claimed this was "unfair" as similar investigations elsewhere in the UK were looking at all instances of abuse.

The group wants the inquiry to extend its examination of abuse to include incidents involving priests in local parishes, in day schools such as council nurseries or primaries and in children's organisations such as the Scouts or Army cadets.

Last month survivors groups attacked a "lack of progress" in the work of a public inquiry into the allegations.

The inquiry, announced in December 2014, formally began its work at the end of September following a series of disclosures of abuse in childcare institutions.

In May 2015, leading QC, Susan O'Brien was appointed to chair the inquiry, which will have statutory powers to compel witnesses to give evidence.

Last month it emerged Glenn Houston, chief executive of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority of Northern Ireland and Michael Lamb professor of psychology and fellow at Sidney Sussex College, the University of Cambridge will work alongside her on the panel.

The inquiry formally began on October 1 with Ms O’Brien calling for those who believe they have information to share with the inquiry to make initial contact.

But the Scottish government said the inquiry must focus on a set time frame.

A spokeswoman added: "The initial call was for an inquiry into the abuse of children in institutional care.

"We have listened carefully to survivors of abuse and responded to their request for the scope to be widened.

"This is why the inquiry will now consider instances of the abuse of children in a wide range of care settings. For the inquiry to succeed and reach clear conclusions it needs to focus on an explicit remit within a set time frame."