New Year 2025

A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all readers.

Politics in the UK started with a major row over Child Sexual Abuse. This immensely serious issue perhaps came to general public attention over 10 years ago when a report was published into events in Rotherham (S. Yorkshire) over a lengthy period extending back to the 1980s. Earlier post of 1 September 2014 - Law and Lawyers: Rotherham ~ Sexual Exploitation of Children ~ the reports.

Rotherham is by no means the only place where similar criminality has taken place. Locations such as Rochdale, Oldham, and Telford come to mind.

The abuse at Telford led to an independent inquiry chaired by Tom Crowther KC which reported on 12 July 2022. The Telford Report was commissioned locally and is publicly available - Chair's Final Report — The Independent Inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Telford. Crowther also published a "Two Year Review" - HERE.

Crowther found that, over a 40 year period, more than 1,000 girls had been abused and this was ignored for decades in the belief that investigation would inflame racial tensions. It found that teachers and social workers were discouraged from reporting. Further, authorities tended to blame the children instead of the perpetrators, dismissing reports of exploitation as 'child prostitution.'

Interestingly, Crowther's Two Year Review noted -

On 2 New Year 2025 had barely dawned when it was reported that Jess Phillips MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls) had formally rejected requests from Oldham Council for a Home Office-led inquiry into historic child abuse in the town. 

Elon Musk (the USA multi-billionaire and owner of X) commented on Twitter and the UK government found itself at the centre of a political storm with the Conservative Party moving a "Reasoned Amendment" to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The amendment sought a further inquiry but, on Wednesday 8 January, the amendment was defeated. The Labour government imposed a Three Line Whip on its MPs but, noticeably, the Prime Minister abstained.

This blog has commented frequently on various inquiries - e.g. the lengthy Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) which published 19 reports on 15 investigations covering a wide range of institutions. IICSA published its final report in October 2022. Governments (both Conservative and Labour) have not, as yet, implemented any of the recommendations.

Public Inquiries are usually held under the Inquiries Act 2005. They are generally lengthy and can take take years. They are lawyer-heavy and expensive but they are also very thorough and command considerable respect. Crucially, although they are essentially an in-depth examination of a topic of serious public concern, they are not empowered to find either civil or criminal liability.

The politics of all this cannot be easily set to one side but there appears to be a case for some form of national examination of the accumulation of reports and recommendations. Whether government decides on such a process remains to be seen and it could be required to report within a relatively short timescale and certainly within 12 months. The key requirement has to be for action to deal with this appalling and shameful topic. It is well within the legal powers of government to set up an examination / review/ inquiry along these lines.

As an absolute minimum, the government ought to set out a timetable for action on recommendations from the IICSA report. To have the matter appearing to be in a political limbo is highly unsatisfactory. '

As I understand it, Oldham Council is looking into commissioning its own report but would have to find the funding for itself. 

House of Commons 6 January 2025

The Home Secretary (Yvette Cooper MP) made a statement in the House of Commons - Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse - Hansard - UK Parliament

Wednesday 8 January - House of Commons

After a debate seeking amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - the House of Commons voted (364 to 111) against holding a further inquiry - House of Commons votes - Votes in Parliament - UK Parliament. 

Friday 10 January

Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester) backs 'limited' national child sex abuse inquiry - BBC News