Swinney to meet child abuse survivors over troubled inquiry

BBC News
July 7, 2016

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-36727982

Mr Swinney said he hoped he could explain the inquiry's troubles to survivors

Susan O'Brien quit as head of the inquiry amid a spat with the Scottish government

Education Secretary John Swinney is to meet survivors of child abuse after some groups said they had lost confidence in the government's inquiry.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has seen two of its three panel members resign, and has been criticised by survivors groups.

Mr Swinney rejected claims that the government interfered with the inquiry in "the strongest possible terms".

He said he would "listen carefully" to the concerns of survivors.

The inquiry was announced in December 2014, to investigate historical abuse of children in care at institutions, boarding schools, hospitals and in foster care.

It was formally set up in October 2015, with Susan O'Brien QC chairing, alongside psychology professor Michael Lamb and Glenn Houston.

However, Mr Lamb resigned in June 2016, saying the inquiry was "doomed" by government interference.

And Ms O'Brien then followed one week later, making similar claims, but with Mr Swinney announcing that moves were underway which could have seen her removed over "unacceptable" comments.

• The Scottish government has published letters relating to Ms O'Brien's resignation
• What events led up to the resignation of Susan O'Brien?

The education secretary and deputy first minister said he would seek to "reassure" survivors that work was underway to make sure "the inquiry remains on track".

He said: "I realise that the events of the last week have caused survivors great anxiety and upset. I can't undo that, but today I will have the opportunity to listen carefully to their concerns and hear what they feel is needed to move forward."

Mr Swinney said that he would seek to explain to survivors why he took the decision to investigate these comments, which led to Ms O'Brien's resignation.

A child abuse expert had complained that Ms O'Brien had made comments during an inquiry staff training session in February, including that one survivor had described being abused as the "best thing that had ever happened" to them.

Dr Claire Fyvie complained that even if this comment was meant to "lighten the mood", it was "wholly inappropriate" and demonstrated a "shocking level of misjudgement".

However, Ms O'Brien insisted that she had "done nothing wrong", saying she would "never underestimate the gravity of child abuse" and that she had "accurately reported without endorsing, what a survivor had said about their attitude to their own abuse."

She said she would resign because she had "no confidence" that the government would not simply find another reason to sack her.

She added: "I cannot reassure the public that this inquiry will be conduced independently of government. My trust that the Scottish government will actually respect the independence of the inquiry has gone - you have therefore left me with no alternative but to resign."

Mr Swinney said he "absolutely rejects any charges of interference" with the independence of the inquiry.

He said: "Today's meeting will also allow survivors the opportunity to ask me all the questions they have about what has happened so that I can share the evidence that was put to me that led to the decision to begin an investigation into the comments made by the former chair.

"I will also be able to set out precisely the level of interaction the Scottish government has had with the independent inquiry and reassure them of our commitment to the inquiry's independence.

"The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to this inquiry and its work uncovering the truth of what survivors have experienced; how the people they should have been able to rely on could have been able to fail them so badly and how we make children today safer as a result of what we establish."