The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

On 20 October 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its final statutory report, which was presented to Parliament pursuant to section 26 of the Inquiries Act 2005. In accordance with the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, the report sets out the main findings about the extent to which state and non-state institutions failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation and makes recommendations for reform. The report is available in English and Welsh, in a number of accessible formats on the iicsa website.

Three recommendations form the centrepiece of the Inquiry’s work.

The first relates to the introduction of a statutory requirement of mandatory reporting. In effect, it requires individuals in certain employments (paid or voluntary) and professions to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the relevant authorities. Failure to do so in some circumstances could lead to the commission of a new criminal offence of failure to report an allegation of child sexual abuse when required to do so.

The second concerns the establishment of a national redress scheme for England and for Wales, to provide some monetary redress for child sexual abuse for those who have been let down by institutions in the past. This is a fixed-term scheme with straightforward processes to ensure that, as far as possible, victims and survivors secure efficient access to the help they need. The redress scheme is not a substitute for criminal or civil justice systems and it does not replace the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The government should seek contributions to the scheme from the institutions affected.

The third recommendation is intended to secure the long-term spotlight on child sexual abuse through the creation of a Child Protection Authority (CPA) in England and in Wales. The CPAs will have powers to inspect any institution associated with children. They will not replace current inspectorates in relation to the statutory authorities, but may require inspection of those authorities by existing inspectorates. The CPAs over time will become centres of expertise, and may extend their child protection functions to other forms of harm experienced by children. They will also, in due course, monitor implementation of the Inquiry’s recommendations and report regularly on progress.

Other recommendations in this report include:

• a single set of core data relating to child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation;
• the creation of a cabinet-level Minister for Children;
• a public awareness campaign on child sexual abuse;
• a ban on the use of pain compliance techniques on children in custodial institutions;
• amendment of the Children Act 1989 to give parity of legal protection to children in care;
• registration of care staff in residential care, and staff in young offender institutions and secure training centres;
• improved compliance with statutory duties to inform the Disclosure and Barring Service about individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children;
• extending the disclosure regime to those working with children overseas;
• extended use of the barred list of people unsuitable for work with children;
• more robust age-verification requirements for the use of online platforms and services;
• mandatory online pre-screening for sexual images of children;
• a guarantee of specialist therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse;
• a code of practice for access to records pertaining to child sexual abuse;
• removal of the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims; and
• further changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

In the main, HAVOCA supports the findings and thanks the commission for their work. Above all else we reach out and thank those Survivors who took part in the Truth project and enabled this work in the first instance.

We look forward to seeing the impact the recommendations have on child protection services and care.