Swinney Is Right to Limit Child Abuse Inquiry Remit

By Stephen Naysmith
Herald Scotland
November 18, 2016

http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14913065.Swinney_is_right_to_limit_child_abuse_inquiry_remit/

THE Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was set up to shine a light on the abuse of children in residential care provided by the state, or by charities and others acting on its behalf.

The inquiry’s job is straightforward: to acknowledge victims of the most horrendous breach of trust, and to attempt to learn from what happened so future children can be better protected.

But there has been an increasing clamour from groups representing child abuse survivors for the inquiry’s remit to be extended. It is unjust, they argue, that some children who were abused by adults in positions of power are not covered by the inquiry because that abuse was not carried out in the care of the state. This may seem unfair. But Education Secretary John Swinney is correct. Such cases cannot be covered by this inquiry.