Historical child abuse inquiry judge Lady Smith asked to listen to evidence locally

By Kathleen Nutt
National
January 27, 2017

https://goo.gl/BSR43I

Alan Draper of Incas said local sessions would be easier for elderly survivors

THE chairwoman of Scotland’s historical child abuse inquiry is to be urged to hold public evidence sessions across the country when she announces how her work is progressing next week.

Alan Draper, of survivor organisation In Care Abuse Survivors (Incas) made the appeal to senior judge Lady Smith ahead of a key preliminary hearing of the inquiry on Tuesday at Parliament House in Edinburgh.

Draper said: “I hope she will be announcing oral evidence sessions in different parts of the country as it will make it easier for survivors, many of whom are now elderly, to take part.”

“It is to be welcomed that this hearing is taking place, although we would have liked it sooner.”

Draper said he hoped Smith would also respond positively to calls from survivors for interim payments as part of their demands for redress.

Smith is expected to set out a timetable for victims to take part and update the public on progress.

The inquiry has cost more than £2.5million and has been beset with problems including the resignation of its previous chairwoman Susan O’Brien QC and a panel member Professor Michael Lamb.

Smith had been under pressure to expand the remit of the inquiry to include people abused who were not in residential care, but has ruled out doing so.

She rejected the idea, saying the inquiry is already extensive and had gathered many “accounts of abuse”. An online message by the judge last year stated: “The terms of the remit were set when the inquiry began.

‘Their width enables us to investigate the abuse of children in residential care in Scotland... from within the living memory of anyone who suffered such abuse to the end of 2014.”

It is believed that more than 20,000 victims could come forward by the end of the inquiry. Police Scotland warned the increase in its workload could put it under growing pressure.

The Scottish Government has said that where crimes are uncovered, the “full force of the law” will be used to bring those responsible to justice.

No oral evidence will be heard on Tuesday but the preliminary hearing is open to the public.