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| UK governments failed to protect children sent to former colonies from sexual abuse over decades | |
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| Successive British governments failed to protect thousands of children who were sent to live overseas, a report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has found. | Successive British governments failed to protect thousands of children who were sent to live overseas, a report by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has found. |
| Post-war migration programmes saw around 4,000 British children taken from their families, care homes and foster parents to Australia and other former colonies including Canada and New Zealand. | Post-war migration programmes saw around 4,000 British children taken from their families, care homes and foster parents to Australia and other former colonies including Canada and New Zealand. |
| The investigation found that the “fundamentally flawed” policy left children in unsafe environments where abuse was unlikely to be prevented, and that complaints received were not properly responded to. | The investigation found that the “fundamentally flawed” policy left children in unsafe environments where abuse was unlikely to be prevented, and that complaints received were not properly responded to. |
| IICSA said British authorities “failed to ensure that there were in place sufficient measures to protect children from sexual abuse, as well as other forms of abuse and neglect” and called for surviving members of the programme to be offered financial compensation. | IICSA said British authorities “failed to ensure that there were in place sufficient measures to protect children from sexual abuse, as well as other forms of abuse and neglect” and called for surviving members of the programme to be offered financial compensation. |
| “Most former child migrants have died - this means that in many cases HMG has missed its opportunity to offer redress to those who were affected by its failure,” the report concluded. “However, around 2,000 child migrants are alive today, and the Panel considers it essential that all surviving former child migrants are offered such redress.” | “Most former child migrants have died - this means that in many cases HMG has missed its opportunity to offer redress to those who were affected by its failure,” the report concluded. “However, around 2,000 child migrants are alive today, and the Panel considers it essential that all surviving former child migrants are offered such redress.” |
| The inquiry panel called on the Government to establish a redress scheme to provide an equal award to every applicant “without delay”, with payments beginning within 12 months. | The inquiry panel called on the Government to establish a redress scheme to provide an equal award to every applicant “without delay”, with payments beginning within 12 months. |
| It also demanded that other organisations involved in implementing the policy apologised to child migrants if they had not already done so. | It also demanded that other organisations involved in implementing the policy apologised to child migrants if they had not already done so. |
| “We are keen to ensure that the scheme is a simple one, in the hope that it can be effective soon, and make a real, immediate and lasting difference to the lives of the former child migrants,” investigators said. | “We are keen to ensure that the scheme is a simple one, in the hope that it can be effective soon, and make a real, immediate and lasting difference to the lives of the former child migrants,” investigators said. |
| Led by Professor Alexis Jay, the panel examined the programmes as part of a broader investigation into the protection of children outside of the UK. | Led by Professor Alexis Jay, the panel examined the programmes as part of a broader investigation into the protection of children outside of the UK. |
| Many witnesses who gave evidence described so-called care regimes which included physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, as well as sexual abuse. | Many witnesses who gave evidence described so-called care regimes which included physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, as well as sexual abuse. |
| Some described constant hunger, medical neglect and poor education that had life-long consequences. | Some described constant hunger, medical neglect and poor education that had life-long consequences. |
| IICSA said that by any historical or current standards of child care, “all of this was wrong”. | IICSA said that by any historical or current standards of child care, “all of this was wrong”. |
| One former child migrant said his schooling “better described as torture than abuse”, having been locked in a place known as “the dungeon” without food or water for days. | One former child migrant said his schooling “better described as torture than abuse”, having been locked in a place known as “the dungeon” without food or water for days. |
| Another was forced to carry out “backbreaking” work on the building of a new school building, and one boy lost an eye through the refusal to give him medical attention. | Another was forced to carry out “backbreaking” work on the building of a new school building, and one boy lost an eye through the refusal to give him medical attention. |
| Beatings of both boys and girls were reported to be common and the treatment caused a 12-year-old boy to attempt suicide. | Beatings of both boys and girls were reported to be common and the treatment caused a 12-year-old boy to attempt suicide. |
| IICSA said one institution - in Clontarf, Queensland – had what it called a “special punishment day” where on one occasion children were forced to watch a beloved pet horse killed as collective punishment. | IICSA said one institution - in Clontarf, Queensland – had what it called a “special punishment day” where on one occasion children were forced to watch a beloved pet horse killed as collective punishment. |
| Clontarf and several others in the report were run by a Catholic order called the Christian Brothers, which has been named in previous child sexual abuse cases in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Canada and US. | Clontarf and several others in the report were run by a Catholic order called the Christian Brothers, which has been named in previous child sexual abuse cases in Australia, the UK, Ireland, Canada and US. |
| The Barnardo’s children’s charity was part of the migration scheme and operated institutions for both sending and receiving children, but suspended the programme when evidence of abuse emerged at its Picton school in Australia. | The Barnardo’s children’s charity was part of the migration scheme and operated institutions for both sending and receiving children, but suspended the programme when evidence of abuse emerged at its Picton school in Australia. |
| IICSA said another organisation, the Fairbridge Society, “failed to respond appropriately to a series of such allegations at its schools in both Canada and Australia”. | IICSA said another organisation, the Fairbridge Society, “failed to respond appropriately to a series of such allegations at its schools in both Canada and Australia”. |
| The report said children were treated as commodities during the period, and left with few if any means of reporting abuse as they were disbelieved, intimidated and feared reprisals. | The report said children were treated as commodities during the period, and left with few if any means of reporting abuse as they were disbelieved, intimidated and feared reprisals. |
| One witness was told to “pray” for her abuser, who was not reprimanded, and a boy was told not to tell anyone after reporting he had been raped. | One witness was told to “pray” for her abuser, who was not reprimanded, and a boy was told not to tell anyone after reporting he had been raped. |
| The report said many children, who were sent abroad from the age of five, were “robbed of their identity” by being lied to about their family background and whether their parents were alive or dead. | The report said many children, who were sent abroad from the age of five, were “robbed of their identity” by being lied to about their family background and whether their parents were alive or dead. |
| IICSA said that although numerous voluntary organisations and local authorities implemented the programme, the blame lay with the government. | IICSA said that although numerous voluntary organisations and local authorities implemented the programme, the blame lay with the government. |
| More than 100,000 British youngsters were shipped abroad under varying programmes as far back as the 1618, but the government took primary responsibility after the Second World War. | |
| The policy was justified as a means of reducing the costs of caring for lone children, meeting labour shortages in the colonies, while populating them with white settlers and providing disadvantaged young people with a fresh start, the inquiry said. | The policy was justified as a means of reducing the costs of caring for lone children, meeting labour shortages in the colonies, while populating them with white settlers and providing disadvantaged young people with a fresh start, the inquiry said. |
| “It was allowed by successive British governments to remain in place, despite a catalogue of evidence which showed that children were suffering ill treatment and abuse, including sexual abuse,” it concluded. | “It was allowed by successive British governments to remain in place, despite a catalogue of evidence which showed that children were suffering ill treatment and abuse, including sexual abuse,” it concluded. |
| “The policy in itself was indefensible and HMG could have decided to bring it to an end, or mitigated some of its effects in practice by taking action at certain key points, but it did not do so.” | “The policy in itself was indefensible and HMG could have decided to bring it to an end, or mitigated some of its effects in practice by taking action at certain key points, but it did not do so.” |
| While a formal legal process was eventually brought in to gain consent for children to be sent abroad from government care, it did not apply to voluntary organisations, and a 1946 report demanding that minors were offered the same standard of care in former colonies as in the UK was not acted on. | While a formal legal process was eventually brought in to gain consent for children to be sent abroad from government care, it did not apply to voluntary organisations, and a 1946 report demanding that minors were offered the same standard of care in former colonies as in the UK was not acted on. |
| A damning series of investigations was carried out in Australia in the 1950s but no protection measurements were put in place because “the politics of the day were consistently prioritised over the welfare of children”, IICSA said. | A damning series of investigations was carried out in Australia in the 1950s but no protection measurements were put in place because “the politics of the day were consistently prioritised over the welfare of children”, IICSA said. |
| The last child was migrated to Australia in 1970, the body added, but because the supply of children judged suitable “dried up” rather than recognition that the programme was wrong. | The last child was migrated to Australia in 1970, the body added, but because the supply of children judged suitable “dried up” rather than recognition that the programme was wrong. |
| Later governments failed to accept full responsibility for Britain’s role in child migration, with the former Prime Minister Sir John Major publicly stated that he “was aware that there were allegations of physical and sexual abuse of a number of child migrants some years ago, but that any such allegations would be a matter for the Australian authorities”. | Later governments failed to accept full responsibility for Britain’s role in child migration, with the former Prime Minister Sir John Major publicly stated that he “was aware that there were allegations of physical and sexual abuse of a number of child migrants some years ago, but that any such allegations would be a matter for the Australian authorities”. |
| While Prime Minister in 2010, Gordon Brown publicly apologised to former child migrants on behalf of the government and established the Family Restoration Fund, while the majority of voluntary and public institutions involved have apologised for their role. | While Prime Minister in 2010, Gordon Brown publicly apologised to former child migrants on behalf of the government and established the Family Restoration Fund, while the majority of voluntary and public institutions involved have apologised for their role. |