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| The Observer view on child abuse The Observer view on child abuse | |
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| Last week’s BBC interview with Andy Woodward, Steve Walters, Jason Dunford and Chris Unsworth was devastating to watch. Sometimes weeping, these men displayed incredible bravery in sharing the horrific, painful story of how their football coach, Barry Bennell, took advantage of their childhood dreams to manipulate, groom and sexually abuse them. | Last week’s BBC interview with Andy Woodward, Steve Walters, Jason Dunford and Chris Unsworth was devastating to watch. Sometimes weeping, these men displayed incredible bravery in sharing the horrific, painful story of how their football coach, Barry Bennell, took advantage of their childhood dreams to manipulate, groom and sexually abuse them. |
| In recent days, as more of those abused by Bennell have come forward, further details have come to light about how this was allowed to happen. One former board member of Crewe Alexandra, the club where Bennell spent much of his career as a coach, said the club was warned about Bennell, but they took no action to remove him from his post. | In recent days, as more of those abused by Bennell have come forward, further details have come to light about how this was allowed to happen. One former board member of Crewe Alexandra, the club where Bennell spent much of his career as a coach, said the club was warned about Bennell, but they took no action to remove him from his post. |
| It is a sickeningly familiar tale. Report after report has revealed how institution after institution – the Catholic church, the BBC, the NHS, councils acting in loco parentis for children in care – have chosen to look the other way when signs emerged of child abuse within their walls. | It is a sickeningly familiar tale. Report after report has revealed how institution after institution – the Catholic church, the BBC, the NHS, councils acting in loco parentis for children in care – have chosen to look the other way when signs emerged of child abuse within their walls. |
| Too often, these institutions put their corporate reputation above the welfare of the children to whom they had a duty of care. We should steel ourselves to hear the same story again: Simon Bailey, the national police lead for child protection, has said he expects similar allegations will surface in other sports. | Too often, these institutions put their corporate reputation above the welfare of the children to whom they had a duty of care. We should steel ourselves to hear the same story again: Simon Bailey, the national police lead for child protection, has said he expects similar allegations will surface in other sports. |
| Those who suffered at the hands of abusers deserve to know why and how they were failed by the institutions that were supposed to protect them. Establishing this truth was surely the most important objective of the independent inquiry into child sex abuse, set up two years ago. Yet it has been plagued by senior resignations and allegations of bullying and sexual assault. It has never provided sufficient clarity about its objectives and how it will seek to meet them. It has failed to be transparent and open about timescales, processes and witnesses. | Those who suffered at the hands of abusers deserve to know why and how they were failed by the institutions that were supposed to protect them. Establishing this truth was surely the most important objective of the independent inquiry into child sex abuse, set up two years ago. Yet it has been plagued by senior resignations and allegations of bullying and sexual assault. It has never provided sufficient clarity about its objectives and how it will seek to meet them. It has failed to be transparent and open about timescales, processes and witnesses. |
| Progress has been unbearably slow: its first public hearing will not take place until early next year. The home affairs select committee last week rightly criticised it in the strongest of terms. Professor Alexis Jay, the inquiry’s fourth chair in two years, must urgently address the committee’s criticisms in the review she is currently undertaking. | Progress has been unbearably slow: its first public hearing will not take place until early next year. The home affairs select committee last week rightly criticised it in the strongest of terms. Professor Alexis Jay, the inquiry’s fourth chair in two years, must urgently address the committee’s criticisms in the review she is currently undertaking. |
| But we owe survivors not just truth and justice. We owe them the knowledge this will not be allowed to happen again. To focus on the past to the exclusion of the present and the future would be to fail them. | But we owe survivors not just truth and justice. We owe them the knowledge this will not be allowed to happen again. To focus on the past to the exclusion of the present and the future would be to fail them. |
| And it brings a risk of complacency: that these are old institutions, old cultures, old attitudes, old sexual mores. | And it brings a risk of complacency: that these are old institutions, old cultures, old attitudes, old sexual mores. |
| This complacency is dangerous. It means our collective outrage about what has happened in the past never quite turns into a commitment to better protecting children in the future. | This complacency is dangerous. It means our collective outrage about what has happened in the past never quite turns into a commitment to better protecting children in the future. |
| In Rotherham, Alexis Jay’s forensic report documented how a string of institutions was complicit in failing to prevent the sexual abuse of white, working-class girls, many of whom were in the care of the state. The sense of moral outrage in the weeks that followed its publication was palpable. Yet more than six months later, a second review by Louise Casey found many in the council and other agencies were continuing to deny the scale of the problem, and not enough action had been taken to stop the abuse from continuing. | In Rotherham, Alexis Jay’s forensic report documented how a string of institutions was complicit in failing to prevent the sexual abuse of white, working-class girls, many of whom were in the care of the state. The sense of moral outrage in the weeks that followed its publication was palpable. Yet more than six months later, a second review by Louise Casey found many in the council and other agencies were continuing to deny the scale of the problem, and not enough action had been taken to stop the abuse from continuing. |
| Inquiry reports, while critical in establishing the truth of what went on, can only ever be a starting point for ensuring these heinous crimes against children are not committed in the future. | Inquiry reports, while critical in establishing the truth of what went on, can only ever be a starting point for ensuring these heinous crimes against children are not committed in the future. |
| But there is a risk that they are regarded as the last word on the matter, shutting the book on the rotten institutions of the past. There is now a whole apparatus that exists to prevent abuse on the scale seen in the past: sex offender registers, safeguarding legislation, criminal record checks for all those who work with children. | But there is a risk that they are regarded as the last word on the matter, shutting the book on the rotten institutions of the past. There is now a whole apparatus that exists to prevent abuse on the scale seen in the past: sex offender registers, safeguarding legislation, criminal record checks for all those who work with children. |
| Yet we have not succeeded in stamping out the child sex abuse that Sarah Champion MP, a tireless campaigner in this area, has called “our nation’s dirty little secret”. | Yet we have not succeeded in stamping out the child sex abuse that Sarah Champion MP, a tireless campaigner in this area, has called “our nation’s dirty little secret”. |
| Far from it. One in 10 young adults says they experienced contact sexual abuse during childhood: that’s the equivalent of two or three children in every class. Up to two-thirds of all child sexual abuse happens in and around the family home. | Far from it. One in 10 young adults says they experienced contact sexual abuse during childhood: that’s the equivalent of two or three children in every class. Up to two-thirds of all child sexual abuse happens in and around the family home. |
| It remains hugely under-reported: the Office of the Children’s Commissioner estimates only one in eight victims comes to the attention of the police or children’s services. Even where it does, there is no guarantee action will be taken. | It remains hugely under-reported: the Office of the Children’s Commissioner estimates only one in eight victims comes to the attention of the police or children’s services. Even where it does, there is no guarantee action will be taken. |
| Last week, a new report from the police inspectorate exposed a shocking level of systemic failings in the Metropolitan police on child protection, leaving hundreds of children at risk of sex abuse. | Last week, a new report from the police inspectorate exposed a shocking level of systemic failings in the Metropolitan police on child protection, leaving hundreds of children at risk of sex abuse. |
| There clearly remains a long way to go in improving the response of law enforcement. But we cannot stop there. In an ideal world, we would not need to educate children, parents and schools about the risks of sex abuse. Yet in a world where paedophilia exists, it is utterly irresponsible not to be doing more to prevent sex abuse from happening in the first place. | There clearly remains a long way to go in improving the response of law enforcement. But we cannot stop there. In an ideal world, we would not need to educate children, parents and schools about the risks of sex abuse. Yet in a world where paedophilia exists, it is utterly irresponsible not to be doing more to prevent sex abuse from happening in the first place. |
| This must mean compulsory and age-appropriate sex and relationships education for all children from primary school onwards, which helps children recognise sex abuse as wrong and encourages them to report it. | This must mean compulsory and age-appropriate sex and relationships education for all children from primary school onwards, which helps children recognise sex abuse as wrong and encourages them to report it. |
| The government should run a public health campaign aimed at parents and whole communities on how to spot the signs of abuse and how to report it. There must be proper training for all professionals working with children to increase their confidence in how to deal with disclosures of child sex abuse. | The government should run a public health campaign aimed at parents and whole communities on how to spot the signs of abuse and how to report it. There must be proper training for all professionals working with children to increase their confidence in how to deal with disclosures of child sex abuse. |
| Last week, Andy Woodward, the first footballer abused by Bennell to come forward, said: “If we can prevent anything else happening to any other young children… I’ll die a happy man.” | Last week, Andy Woodward, the first footballer abused by Bennell to come forward, said: “If we can prevent anything else happening to any other young children… I’ll die a happy man.” |
| We owe it to those who find the strength to speak out to heed his words. It is not enough to feel outraged. We should feel ashamed that, despite revelation after revelation about institution after institution, we still don’t yet do enough to prevent the evil, destructive, life-ruining crime that is child sex abuse. | We owe it to those who find the strength to speak out to heed his words. It is not enough to feel outraged. We should feel ashamed that, despite revelation after revelation about institution after institution, we still don’t yet do enough to prevent the evil, destructive, life-ruining crime that is child sex abuse. |
| What else will it take to get us to act to prevent child sex abuse in the here and now? | What else will it take to get us to act to prevent child sex abuse in the here and now? |
| • Comments will be opened later | • Comments will be opened later |
| CHILD ABUSE | CHILD ABUSE |