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| Child abuse survivors' group withdraws from 'contrived' UK inquiry | Child abuse survivors' group withdraws from 'contrived' UK inquiry |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| One of the biggest survivors’ groups involved in the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse is to formally withdraw from the investigation, denouncing it as a “botch job that needs a drastic overhaul if it is ever to achieve its initial objectives”. | One of the biggest survivors’ groups involved in the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse is to formally withdraw from the investigation, denouncing it as a “botch job that needs a drastic overhaul if it is ever to achieve its initial objectives”. |
| The Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (Sosa), which represents people subjected to abuse at children’s homes run by Lambeth council in south London, described the inquiry as a “stage-managed event which has now been contrived in such a way that it enables the guilty to wash their dirty hands, whilst the establishment pats itself on the back”. | The Shirley Oaks Survivors Association (Sosa), which represents people subjected to abuse at children’s homes run by Lambeth council in south London, described the inquiry as a “stage-managed event which has now been contrived in such a way that it enables the guilty to wash their dirty hands, whilst the establishment pats itself on the back”. |
| It is the latest setback for the inquiry, which is on its fourth chairwoman since it was established in 2014 and has had three people resign from its legal team. | It is the latest setback for the inquiry, which is on its fourth chairwoman since it was established in 2014 and has had three people resign from its legal team. |
| On Friday morning, Chuka Ummuna, the Labour MP whose Streatham constituency is home to many Sosa members, said he had lost confidence in Prof Alexis Jay’s ability to chair the investigation and called for a judge “of high court standing or senior” to take the reins. | On Friday morning, Chuka Ummuna, the Labour MP whose Streatham constituency is home to many Sosa members, said he had lost confidence in Prof Alexis Jay’s ability to chair the investigation and called for a judge “of high court standing or senior” to take the reins. |
| “There has been an ongoing concern about the fact that she has come from three decades of social work,” Umunna told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. “For many of the survivors that is a problem because many of the perpetrators came from that profession. Now you can’t just sweep that under the table and it’s never been dealt with by the panel properly.” | “There has been an ongoing concern about the fact that she has come from three decades of social work,” Umunna told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. “For many of the survivors that is a problem because many of the perpetrators came from that profession. Now you can’t just sweep that under the table and it’s never been dealt with by the panel properly.” |
| Raymond Stevenson, the chairman of Sosa, told Today the decision to withdraw from the inquiry had been made in a vote by members. | Raymond Stevenson, the chairman of Sosa, told Today the decision to withdraw from the inquiry had been made in a vote by members. |
| “We have watched from afar multiple resignations, the claims of sex abuse, the claims of racism … so we have made the decision that we didn’t want to be part of this,” he said. | “We have watched from afar multiple resignations, the claims of sex abuse, the claims of racism … so we have made the decision that we didn’t want to be part of this,” he said. |
| Sosa members had already endured a five-year inquiry by Lambeth council and the Metropolitan police that had not given them the results they were looking for, Stevenson said. | Sosa members had already endured a five-year inquiry by Lambeth council and the Metropolitan police that had not given them the results they were looking for, Stevenson said. |
| Lambeth is understood to be handing over documents to the inquiry – which has statutory powers to demand information – on a weekly basis. | Lambeth is understood to be handing over documents to the inquiry – which has statutory powers to demand information – on a weekly basis. |
| Theresa May’s deputy official spokesman said she had full confidence in Jay and did not regret setting up the inquiry in the way she did as home secretary. | |
| “It’s important to emphasise that the work of the inquiry to investigate the abuse of children in Lambeth and elsewhere is ongoing,” said the spokesman. “That work will continue. | |
| “The interests of victims and survivors are at the heart of this inquiry and it is right that it should be allowed to continue its work. It is important that it remains independent of government.” | |
| Former residents of children’s homes in the borough who are seeking compensation could be at a disadvantage without access to documents submitted to the inquiry. Stevenson claimed some Sosa members had killed themselves as a result of the memories the earlier inquiry had dragged up. | Former residents of children’s homes in the borough who are seeking compensation could be at a disadvantage without access to documents submitted to the inquiry. Stevenson claimed some Sosa members had killed themselves as a result of the memories the earlier inquiry had dragged up. |
| “So if you are asking do we feel comfortable to put our members through an inquiry that is failing – failing tragically, failing publicly – then it’s not acceptable to put them through this,” he said. “The inquiry needs to sort itself out. They need to get rid of Alexis Jay, who has been parachuted in by the Home Office, and we need to get someone else.” | “So if you are asking do we feel comfortable to put our members through an inquiry that is failing – failing tragically, failing publicly – then it’s not acceptable to put them through this,” he said. “The inquiry needs to sort itself out. They need to get rid of Alexis Jay, who has been parachuted in by the Home Office, and we need to get someone else.” |
| In a statement issued on Friday morning, Sosa called for a complete overhaul of personnel at the inquiry. “Having watched the IICSA’s unpalatable circus stumble and lurch from crisis to crisis with multiple resignations and claims of racial and sexual abuse thrown into the mix, it no longer matters whether we think the inquiry is just another stitch-up because it’s clearly a botch job that needs a drastic overhaul if it is ever to achieve its initial objectives,” it said. | In a statement issued on Friday morning, Sosa called for a complete overhaul of personnel at the inquiry. “Having watched the IICSA’s unpalatable circus stumble and lurch from crisis to crisis with multiple resignations and claims of racial and sexual abuse thrown into the mix, it no longer matters whether we think the inquiry is just another stitch-up because it’s clearly a botch job that needs a drastic overhaul if it is ever to achieve its initial objectives,” it said. |
| “We ask the Home Office’s handpicked panel members who have presided over this debacle for the last six months to resign for the sake of all those children who were abused historically. Your failure to manage the largest inquiry this country has ever seen means we have been abused again, over and over … this is the perfect opportunity for you all to get on with your lives and avoid your reputations being stained in the blotted pages of history. | “We ask the Home Office’s handpicked panel members who have presided over this debacle for the last six months to resign for the sake of all those children who were abused historically. Your failure to manage the largest inquiry this country has ever seen means we have been abused again, over and over … this is the perfect opportunity for you all to get on with your lives and avoid your reputations being stained in the blotted pages of history. |
| “After the turmoil of losing three chairs we do not believe that Prof Alexis Jay is the right person to wrench open the Pandora’s box of historical lies and cover-ups related to Shirley Oaks, Lambeth and the historical child abuse experienced by other survivor groups. The fact that Prof Jay has not even bothered to meet us or contact us since her appointment only adds to our fear that she is an uninspiring leader who cannot reach out beyond her daisy chain circle of middle management cronies.” | “After the turmoil of losing three chairs we do not believe that Prof Alexis Jay is the right person to wrench open the Pandora’s box of historical lies and cover-ups related to Shirley Oaks, Lambeth and the historical child abuse experienced by other survivor groups. The fact that Prof Jay has not even bothered to meet us or contact us since her appointment only adds to our fear that she is an uninspiring leader who cannot reach out beyond her daisy chain circle of middle management cronies.” |
| The statement concluded: “We at Sosa are saddened. The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse could have provided an opportunity for contemplation and learning across the UK as a whole. We are all aware that mistakes were made in the past but without learning, these mistakes will continue to be made in the future. The lives and future of many current and future care children could have been improved but instead, this opportunity lost will leave a pigment of shame on the government’s hands.” | The statement concluded: “We at Sosa are saddened. The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse could have provided an opportunity for contemplation and learning across the UK as a whole. We are all aware that mistakes were made in the past but without learning, these mistakes will continue to be made in the future. The lives and future of many current and future care children could have been improved but instead, this opportunity lost will leave a pigment of shame on the government’s hands.” |
| The announcement came two days after it emerged that another senior lawyer at the inquiry had resigned. Aileen McColgan, a law professor at King’s College London who was involved in the investigation into the Anglican and Catholic churches, reportedly quit due to concerns over the inquiry’s leadership. | The announcement came two days after it emerged that another senior lawyer at the inquiry had resigned. Aileen McColgan, a law professor at King’s College London who was involved in the investigation into the Anglican and Catholic churches, reportedly quit due to concerns over the inquiry’s leadership. |
| Her departure follows the resignation of the inquiry’s senior counsel, Ben Emmerson, and his junior colleague, Elizabeth Prochaska. | Her departure follows the resignation of the inquiry’s senior counsel, Ben Emmerson, and his junior colleague, Elizabeth Prochaska. |