UNITED KINGDOM
Belfast Telegraph
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse, or IICSA, is in crisis. Its third chair, New Zealand judge Dame Lowell Goddard, has just resigned and a replacement, Professor Alexis Jay, appointed. Dame Lowell and her predecessors were appointed by Theresa May in her previous role as Home Secretary to chair the inquiry examining the institutional abuse of children in England and Wales.
The two previous appointees had to step down because of their closeness to the very Establishment that they were supposed to be examining. More than a year on from its formation the inquiry has barely got into its stride.
One of the central roles of IICSA is to look at allegations against senior politicians who have been accused of abusing children. It is hoped the inquiry will consider whether Establishment abusers had been protected, and to determine what changes to the child protection system should be made in light of allegations against prominent people.
Two now-deceased politicians – Lord Greville Janner and Sir Cyril Smith – faced extremely serious allegations of serial sexual child abuse which are central to the inquiry and which were to be examined in detail. Both were accused during their lifetime, but the allegations were rejected as unfounded. But there is now uncertainty over the Janner strand of the inquiry. His family have stated that they intend to take legal action to prevent the allegations made against him from being considered by the inquiry. Meanwhile, the police are continuing to investigate people alleged to have abused children alongside Janner.
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