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Child Abuse Inquiry's Fourth Chairman Scales Back Scope of the Inquiry after Saying It Is Unrealistic to Investigate All of the Institutions

By Rebecca Camber
Daily Mail
October 17, 2016

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3846018/Child-abuse-inquiry-s-FOURTH-chairman-scales-scope-inquiry.html

Professor Alexis Jay has signalled a scaling back of its remit

The future of the child abuse inquiry was plunged into uncertainty again last night as its fourth chairman signalled a scaling back of its remit.

Professor Alexis Jay, who took over from Dame Lowell Goddard in August, said it was unrealistic to hold a public inquiry-style hearing into all of the institutions where abuse is said to have occurred.

She said while the inquiry would endeavour to look at many institutions where youngsters were allegedly abused, it would be ‘impossible to do so for all of them’.

Professor Jay sought to appease victims by saying the inquiry remained ‘very interested in the past’ and promised to complete most of its work by the end of 2020.

But she refused to say if she plans to cut any of the 13 investigations examining child abuse claims in institutions from Westminster to the Church, schools and Armed Forces over the last 60 years.

Signalling curbs to the probe, she said: ‘I believe that the concerns that our terms of reference cannot be delivered are founded on an assumption that we must seek to replicate a traditional public inquiry in respect of each of the thousands of institutions that fall within our remit.

'We will do so for some, but we would never finish if we did it for all.’

Dame Lowell Goddard stood down from the role in August

Instead she said the inquiry would focus on four ‘thematic strands’.

Professor Jay had ordered a review of the inquiry amid concern its scope was so vast it was unlikely to be completed within a decade and could cost more than ?100million.

But one abuse victim Ian McFadyen said: ‘This statement is completely opaque, it doesn’t make any sense to me. Where are the answers we deserve on this inquiry?

'It’s farcical – if this is the way she communicates with survivors, how are we supposed to have any trust?’

And Phil Johnson, of the Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors group, said: ‘It seems clear to us that the inquiry will be scaled back.’

Andrew Lavery, of White Flowers Alba, said: ‘Alexis Jay’s position is untenable, her statement is dishonest and disingenuous. She must stand down immediately.’

Yesterday the Mail revealed his victims’ group was seeking a judicial review of Professor Jay’s position. Another group is threatening to sue the inquiry for damages over the trauma it has caused them.

Jim Gamble, the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre said: ‘This inquiry has been bungled from the beginning because the Government did not stop to listen to survivors.

‘The whole inquiry seems to be going off the rails.

‘Questions need to be answered. Why did Ben Emmerson resign? Is this inquiry fundamentally independent? Why did Dame Lowell step down?

‘None of these questions have been answered today.'

 

 

 

 

 




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