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| Dame Lowell Goddard resigns as head of child sexual abuse inquiry | Dame Lowell Goddard resigns as head of child sexual abuse inquiry |
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| The head of the public inquiry into institutional child abuse has resigned just over a year after setting out her vision for an unprecedented five-year investigation into historical abuse and its cover up. | The head of the public inquiry into institutional child abuse has resigned just over a year after setting out her vision for an unprecedented five-year investigation into historical abuse and its cover up. |
| In a decision that will throw the future of the major inquiry into doubt, Justice Lowell Goddard announced on Thursday evening that she was stepping down. Her resignation came 24 hours after reports criticising her for spending three months away from the UK since she was first appointed last year to lead the inquiry, which had been beset with difficulties finding a chair who was acceptable to a powerful lobby of victims’ groups. | In a decision that will throw the future of the major inquiry into doubt, Justice Lowell Goddard announced on Thursday evening that she was stepping down. Her resignation came 24 hours after reports criticising her for spending three months away from the UK since she was first appointed last year to lead the inquiry, which had been beset with difficulties finding a chair who was acceptable to a powerful lobby of victims’ groups. |
| In her letter of resignation to the home secretary Amber Rudd published on Thursday night, Goddard gave no reason for standing down. She wrote: “I regret to advise that I am offering you my resignation as chair of the Independent Inquiry into Institutional child abuse with immediate effect. I trust you will accept this decision.” | In her letter of resignation to the home secretary Amber Rudd published on Thursday night, Goddard gave no reason for standing down. She wrote: “I regret to advise that I am offering you my resignation as chair of the Independent Inquiry into Institutional child abuse with immediate effect. I trust you will accept this decision.” |
| In a statement, Goddard said that deciding to take on the inquiry after it was beset with problems last year, “was a huge step to take as it meant relinquishing my career in New Zealand and leaving behind my beloved family”. She said the inquiry had a “legacy of failure” which had been “hard to shake off”. | In a statement, Goddard said that deciding to take on the inquiry after it was beset with problems last year, “was a huge step to take as it meant relinquishing my career in New Zealand and leaving behind my beloved family”. She said the inquiry had a “legacy of failure” which had been “hard to shake off”. |
| “With hindsight it would have been better to have started completely afresh,” she said, adding: “While it has been a struggle in many respects I am confident there have been achievements and some very real gains for victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in getting their voices heard.” | “With hindsight it would have been better to have started completely afresh,” she said, adding: “While it has been a struggle in many respects I am confident there have been achievements and some very real gains for victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in getting their voices heard.” |
| In her response to the resignation letter Rudd said she was sorry to receive it but accepted her decision. She thanked her for the last 16 months of work and said: “It is testament to your commitment that you have taken the difficult decision to stand down having set the inquiry firmly on course, and allow someone else to lead it through to the end. With regret I agree that this is the right decision.” | In her response to the resignation letter Rudd said she was sorry to receive it but accepted her decision. She thanked her for the last 16 months of work and said: “It is testament to your commitment that you have taken the difficult decision to stand down having set the inquiry firmly on course, and allow someone else to lead it through to the end. With regret I agree that this is the right decision.” |
| Goddard had recently started sitting on the preliminary hearings into 13 public investigations into non-recent child abuse in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, Westminster, Lambeth council, Medomsley detention centre, and allegations against the late Lord Janner and the late Cyril Smith. | |
| She opened the inquiry just over a year ago with a public statement that set out its enormous scale and promised that no individual or institution would be able to obstruct her investigations. | She opened the inquiry just over a year ago with a public statement that set out its enormous scale and promised that no individual or institution would be able to obstruct her investigations. |
| She had been appointed after two previous chairs were criticised publicly for their links to the establishment – forcing the then home secretary Theresa May to look internationally for someone suitable. | She had been appointed after two previous chairs were criticised publicly for their links to the establishment – forcing the then home secretary Theresa May to look internationally for someone suitable. |
| Her departure is a critical blow for victims who believed that after decades in which abuse had been covered up, they would finally get to the truth of what had taken place. | Her departure is a critical blow for victims who believed that after decades in which abuse had been covered up, they would finally get to the truth of what had taken place. |
| The Times reported on Thursday that Goddard, whose inquiry has been given a budget of £17.9m in the first year, had spent three months outside of the UK since her appointment in April of last year. The paper said Goddard, who is Britain’s highest paid civil servant, worked for 44 days in New Zealand, her home country, and in Australia after taking up the role. | The Times reported on Thursday that Goddard, whose inquiry has been given a budget of £17.9m in the first year, had spent three months outside of the UK since her appointment in April of last year. The paper said Goddard, who is Britain’s highest paid civil servant, worked for 44 days in New Zealand, her home country, and in Australia after taking up the role. |
| This was in addition to her 30 days of annual holiday leave, the newspaper reported, bringing the total to 74 days, which equates to three working months. | This was in addition to her 30 days of annual holiday leave, the newspaper reported, bringing the total to 74 days, which equates to three working months. |
| The inquiry spokeswoman said Goddard had spent 44 days working in New Zealand and Australia on inquiry business, and that the other 30 days were her annual leave. | The inquiry spokeswoman said Goddard had spent 44 days working in New Zealand and Australia on inquiry business, and that the other 30 days were her annual leave. |
| The spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on where people working for the inquiry spend their annual leave. The chair is always on call and in direct contact with the inquiry team.” | The spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on where people working for the inquiry spend their annual leave. The chair is always on call and in direct contact with the inquiry team.” |
| Goddard was on a remuneration package that included a £360,000 salary and a £110,000 annual accommodation allowance which she used to rent a flat in central London. She also received a utilities allowance of £12,000. | Goddard was on a remuneration package that included a £360,000 salary and a £110,000 annual accommodation allowance which she used to rent a flat in central London. She also received a utilities allowance of £12,000. |
| The criticism of Goddard was the first of a series of attacks on her abilty to carry out the role. It came after some victims complained that the voices of survivors were not being properly heard in the inquiry. | The criticism of Goddard was the first of a series of attacks on her abilty to carry out the role. It came after some victims complained that the voices of survivors were not being properly heard in the inquiry. |
| Writing in the Guardian Phil Frampton, member of a survivors group known as Whiteflowers, criticised her failure to give core participant status to many victims groups. | Writing in the Guardian Phil Frampton, member of a survivors group known as Whiteflowers, criticised her failure to give core participant status to many victims groups. |
| Related: My child abuse inquiry is not just targeted on the famous | Lowell Goddard | Related: My child abuse inquiry is not just targeted on the famous | Lowell Goddard |
| “To date, Goddard has only permitted them to have involvement in small, splintered sections of the inquiry such as religious institutions and care homes. | “To date, Goddard has only permitted them to have involvement in small, splintered sections of the inquiry such as religious institutions and care homes. |
| “In contrast, she has given core participant status to precisely those organisations that so terribly failed survivors: the Home Office, the Department of Education, the Crown Prosecution Service and the police,” he wrote. | “In contrast, she has given core participant status to precisely those organisations that so terribly failed survivors: the Home Office, the Department of Education, the Crown Prosecution Service and the police,” he wrote. |
| The public inquiry into non-recent child abuse and the failures of institutions to protect children dating back decades was set up in 2014 following the revelations about Jimmy Savile. | The public inquiry into non-recent child abuse and the failures of institutions to protect children dating back decades was set up in 2014 following the revelations about Jimmy Savile. |
| The Home Office said on Thursday evening that it would continue, but the search for a new chair who can withstand the high level of public scrutiny and criticism while successfully steering what is a behemoth is likely to be a tough one. | The Home Office said on Thursday evening that it would continue, but the search for a new chair who can withstand the high level of public scrutiny and criticism while successfully steering what is a behemoth is likely to be a tough one. |
| The inquiry has been beset by delays since May first announced it. | The inquiry has been beset by delays since May first announced it. |
| Lady Butler-Sloss stood down as chair in July 2014 after questions about the role played by her late brother, Lord Havers, who was attorney general in the 1980s. Her successor Dame Fiona Woolf resigned following criticism over her “establishment links”, most notably in relation to Leon Brittan, the former home secretary who died in 2015. | Lady Butler-Sloss stood down as chair in July 2014 after questions about the role played by her late brother, Lord Havers, who was attorney general in the 1980s. Her successor Dame Fiona Woolf resigned following criticism over her “establishment links”, most notably in relation to Leon Brittan, the former home secretary who died in 2015. |
| May redrew the inquiry under Goddard in March 2015, responding to demands from victims groups that it be placed on a statutory footing, which meant it had the power to compel witnesses to give evidence. | May redrew the inquiry under Goddard in March 2015, responding to demands from victims groups that it be placed on a statutory footing, which meant it had the power to compel witnesses to give evidence. |
| Opening the inquiry at the Queen Elizabeth ll Centre in London in July last year Goddard said: “ I am determined to ensure that it does not get bogged down in delays.” | Opening the inquiry at the Queen Elizabeth ll Centre in London in July last year Goddard said: “ I am determined to ensure that it does not get bogged down in delays.” |
| A year on from the opening statement in July 2015, however, no evidence has yet been taken and only three out of an expected five regional offices to take testimony from victims in the part of the inquiry known as the truth project have been opened. | A year on from the opening statement in July 2015, however, no evidence has yet been taken and only three out of an expected five regional offices to take testimony from victims in the part of the inquiry known as the truth project have been opened. |
| The inquiry’s terms of reference say that its purpose includes considering “the extent to which state and non-state institutions have failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation”. It covers England and Wales. | The inquiry’s terms of reference say that its purpose includes considering “the extent to which state and non-state institutions have failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation”. It covers England and Wales. |