SCOTLAND
The National
JULY 6TH, 2016
KARIN GOODWIN
SURVIVORS of childhood abuse say they have lost confidence in the Scottish Government’s child abuse inquiry and have called for claims of Government interference to investigated.
The call comes after Monday’s resignation of Susan O’Brien, the chairwoman of the panel, who stepped down just a week after Professor Michael Lamb, another of the three panel members, resigned, claiming government interference was making the job untenable.
Open Secret, which runs the In Care Survivors group, said the handling of the inquiry had left abuse victims “re-traumatised” and suspicious of the inquiry, and called for survivors to be put at the heart of the process.
John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, has denied any interference and says he aims to rebuild trust by meeting with survivors tomorrow.
O’Brien’s resignation came after Scottish ministers initiated proceedings against her under reference section 12 of the Public Inquiries Act 2005 back in May, after it was alleged she made inappropriate comments about a victim of sexual abuse.
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