UNITED KINGDOM
Huffington Post
Felicity Gerry
A petition has just closed asking for Michael Mansfield QC to chair the UK Government proposed child sexual abuse inquiry in the UK. It has also been suggested that he will chair an alternative “peoples” inquiry. The traditions of the Bar are fearlessness and Mr Mansfield has challenged authority effectively for his entire career. His involvement may be a very good idea but not necessarily as chair and certainly not chairing an alternative. The purpose of a child sexual abuse inquiry is to look at institutional responses to child sexual abuse. Where is the expertise in either suggested body? What is the purpose of an alternative? What powers would such a body have? Will victims have to give evidence twice? Just a few short questions that demonstrate what a mess this all is. A mainstream inquiry needs to be effective and trustworthy. An alternative process might initially appear laudable but it has the potential to be really cruel. Mr Mansfield does well to expose the mess and the Government would do well to engage with the experts.
It was welcome news that the UK Government was prepared to hold a Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry. Sadly, as a result of hasty appointments, it is now a total embarrassment which is almost legitimising the suggestion of an alternative. Appointing Dame Elizabeth Butler Sloss was a mistake. Frankly, aside from her establishment connections, which should have been obvious, she was too old. Run properly, this Inquiry will take years. After Dame Butler Sloss resigned there was Fiona Woolf: A commercial lawyer who has no experience of dealing with vulnerable witnesses, no knowledge of the decades of changing laws on sexual offending and who was also a member of the establishment. Was she the second woman they could think of? Was it an attempt at a cover up? The errors in appointment have caused conspiracy theories to abound and it is this fear of a cover up that is fuelling the suggestion of an alternative body without a focus on how this could affect those who would give evidence. How sad it would be for them if the alternative had no teeth or the official inquiry had no guts.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.