Notts to Form Part of Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse

Newark Advertiser
November 27, 2015

http://newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Notts-to-form-part-of-independent-inquiry-int

One of 12 investigations in the first phase of the national independent inquiry into child sex abuse will centre on Nottinghamshire.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, also known as the Goddard Inquiry, has been set up to investigate whether public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse in England and Wales.

Both Nottinghamshire’s Chief Constable, Chris Eyre, and Police and Crime Commissioner, Paddy Tipping, welcomed today's announcement by the inquiry chairman Justice Lowell Goddard.

They say they have held discussions with the inquiry team over the last eight months to encourage this focus on Nottinghamshire and the ongoing work with survivors of historical sexual abuse.

Mr Tipping said: “This is a huge step in the right direction and I’m really grateful that the Goddard team has listened to our appeals for Nottinghamshire to become part of the national inquiry.

“I have met a good many of the survivors and they have impressed upon me the importance of this inquiry and their wish to have the opportunity to tell their story and to have that story heard.

"I hope that they find today’s announcement supportive in their ongoing recovery.

“While I am aware that many people have already told the police about their experiences, it’s really important for anyone else who believes they may have been a victim of abuse to come forward and report their story.

“I understand that it must be a very difficult thing to do, but I can assure people that what they say will be treated seriously and with sensitivity. But I most strongly appeal to anyone who feels they have been abused while in care to use this Inquiry as the incentive they need to come forward. Their voices must be heard."

Mr Eyre said: “I am confident that the Inquiry will allow them a voice without compromising the ongoing and extremely complex criminal investigations and criminal justice proceedings.

“The inquiry will enable our partners to show the work they have done to review the care provided to children in the care system, demonstrate how they responded to changes in Government policy, and show their response to failings identified locally and across the country over the period considered by the Inquiry.”

It is said the inquiry will complement Nottinghamshire Police’s ongoing complex and challenging criminal investigations into historic child abuse; the local authorities’ extensive and detailed review that has already been undertaken into the provision of children’s care homes; and the work of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s independent safeguarding boards.

Justice Goddard is supported by a victims and survivors' consultative panel, and other expert advisers.

Nottinghamshire Police has two major investigations into historical abuse in care homes in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

These investigations commenced in 2010 and, to date, are into offences reported by 263 victims.

They span the period from the late 1940s to the turn of the millennium and involve a range of incidents, from chastisement by staff which would not have been criminal offences at the time they occurred, to the most serious sexual and physical assaults.

The investigations have been periodically reviewed by the College of Policing, Metropolitan Police and Leicestershire Police.

The force says they are amongst the most complex and challenging investigations it has ever run because of the time that has passed since the offences were committed, the difficulty with securing corroborative evidence and the difficulty with identifying and locating witnesses.

Many care home records that cover the period of the earlier offences no-longer exist. Victims have been unable to name the offenders in more than 40% of the cases.

Anthony May, chief executive at Nottinghamshire County Council and Ian Curryer, chief executive at Nottingham City Council said: “We welcome the independent scrutiny that the Goddard Inquiry will bring to cases of historical sexual abuse and will engage fully with it.

"We have been jointly investigating allegations of historical abuse, some of which are of a sexual nature, for a number of years now with Nottinghamshire Police.

“From the outset, we have taken these allegations seriously, some of which date back to the 1940s when predecessor organisations were in charge of children’s homes.

“The safety and well-being of children in our care today must be, and is, of the highest priority. The safety and quality of care for such children is nowadays closely regulated and scrutinised by Ofsted and our Children’s Safeguarding Boards.”