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Child Sex Abuse Inquiry Chief Lowell Goddard Hauled before Mps to Explain Why She Quit

By Ben Glaze
Mirror
August 5, 2016

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/child-sex-abuse-inquiry-chief-8569889

Quitting child abuse inquiry chief Lowell Goddard has been asked to explain herself

Outgoing child sex abuse inquiry chairwoman Lowell Goddard will be hauled before MPs to explain why she quit.

The New Zealand judge triggered widespread anger when she resigned - sparking questions about why she took the job in the first place.

Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz today said she would be summoned to justify herself.

It was “not enough” for Dame Lowell to “resign and leave”, said Mr Vaz.

He called for a “thorough explanation”, and said the “only way” to move forward was to hear from Justice Goddard.

In a letter to her he wrote: "It is very disappointing to us that you feel it necessary to resign."

Labour MP Keith Vaz said the inquiry chief would be invited to give evidence

The Labour MP told Sky News: “She is someone with impeccable credentials, so this is a big shock that she chooses to resign now.

“I think what’s really important is that we find out the reasons why she has decided to take this course of action.

“I’ve written to her today to ask her to come before the committee when we return at the end of August and share with us her thoughts about the setting up of this inquiry and why she resigned, and where she thinks we could go.

“Because although we’ve had ministers and Parliament and others involved, she has been intimately concerned with establishing this very difficult inquiry, so what she has to say is extremely pertinent, and I don’t really think a resignation letter or a statement is enough.”

She was the third choice to lead the investigation after previous charwomen stood down over the links to the Establishment.

Dame Lowell's incredibly small resignation letter

Dame Lowell, who was appointed in April 2015, faced criticism earlier this week when it was revealed she had spent more than 70 days working abroad or on holiday during her time in charge.

An inquiry spokesman said the 67-year-old had spent 44 days in New Zealand and Australia on inquiry business and was entitled to 30 days’ annual leave.

Dame Lowell did not give full reasons for leaving but said accepting the job had been “an incredibly difficult step to take, as it meant relinquishing my career in New Zealand and leaving behind my beloved family”.

She also said its “legacy of failure which has been very hard to shake off”.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the inquiry would “continue without delay” and a new chairman would be found.

Campaigners today urged the Government to press on with the wide-ranging inquiry.

Graham Wilmer of victims’ charity Lantern said the best solution was to go ahead without a new chairman and urged the Home Secretary to appoint “one of the very capable existing panel members”.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said: “This is now a very big challenge for the Home Secretary … she needs to reassure people she is still committed to this inquiry.”

Lucy Duckworth, who sits on the Victims and Survivors’ Consultative Panel, said Dame Lowell had done an “incredible job” despite her shock decision to quit citing the independent inquiry’s “legacy of failure”.

She told the BBC: “We need to make sure that, going forward, survivors that are encouraged to come and share their story with the inquiry are well supported and that is what is taking the time.

“This is a huge undertaking and it would be wrong to instantly start hearing evidence having not put those policies and procedures in place.”

She added: “We need to continue the work that we are doing and there are many staff there who are very committed, who are very good at their jobs, who are working very hard.

“This inquiry has never happened on this magnitude ever, so there is no point in comparing it to other inquiries like Hillsborough - it is very, very different.”

 

 

 

 

 




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