Child abuse victims’ lawyer calls for swift decision on inquiry panel’s future
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Version 0 of 1. A lawyer representing victims of child abuse has called for a swift decision by Theresa May on the future of the independent panel set up to investigate institutional abuse amid concerns that evidence is being lost or destroyed. Alison Millar, from Leigh Day, who represents around 50 survivors of child abuse, spoke as members of the independent panel appointed to carry out an inquiry into institutional failings to protect children, were due to give evidence to the home affairs select committee on Tuesday. The independent inquiry announced by the home secretary was set up seven months ago but its future is uncertain. Two chairs have been forced to resign over their connections with establishment figures, and no new chair has been appointed. There have been complaints from victims about the lack of transparency in the appointment of the panel of experts, and criticism over the actions of two members for what is claimed were inappropriate communications with victims. May is considering three options to reconstitute the independent inquiry as a statutory investigation, after complaints from some survivors about the lack of transparency over their appointment. Only one of these options involves keeping the same panel in place. Sources close to the inquiry said it was anticipated that the panel would be disbanded in the near future. Millar said the panel had lost the confidence of many victims and a decision on selecting a new panel had to be made very soon. “This inquiry is really about the abuse of power and about institutional and political cover-ups of crimes,” said Millar. “There is a concern that while it is not moving forward people are destroying documents and putting them out of reach while the inquiry is in limbo. What my clients are concerned about is that this has to move forward now and the longer this limbo goes on the more difficult it will be for the inquiry to do its important work.” Last week the independent panel cancelled a listening event in Birmingham due to the “uncertainty on the future shape of the inquiry”. Victims who had been preparing to attend were assured the event would be rescheduled, but no new date has been identified. In a statement the panel said they would be putting in place more support for victims at future events, after survivors’ groups complained about the lack of professional support on hand for victims at the listening events. The Home Office said there would be no government announcement on the inquiry on Tuesday. They did not indicate when a decision would be made by May on the way forward. Members of the panel are to give evidence on Tuesday afternoon to the commons select committee chaired by Keith Vaz. |