When will survivor voices be enough?

The government’s response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is another example of victim-survivor silencing, says Rebekah Pierre
Rebekah Pierre

Published by PSW magazine, 12 June 2023

It takes young people an average 7.8 years to disclose child sexual abuse (CSA), according to the NSPCC. And for some, that number stretches into decades. Others never disclose at all.  

Victim-survivors of CSA understand this all too well. The stigma and shame are hard to bear, and though it belongs with perpetrators, the burden remains with us.  

We live in a world where perpetrators are given a free pass to live with impunity, where collusion protects the reputations of the most powerful perpetrators. 

Against this backdrop, it is remarkable that any victim-survivor at all participated in the long-awaited Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. 

But indeed they did – 6,200 victim-survivors took part over the course of seven years. Reading through the devastating contents of the resulting truth report reveals the strength, courage and resolve of participants. 

And despite the personal sacrifices made by victim-survivors who gave so much to ensure others were protected, the government has failed to listen.  

In May, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Parliament that 19 of the 20 recommendations made by victim-survivors would be acted upon. This could not have been more welcome. But on further reading of the government’s published response, this appears to be yet another inflated, obfuscated claim. 

The actual number of accepted recommendations, according to Article 39 is more like three out of 20.   

Agreed recommendations include:  

  • Mandatory reporting for child sexual abuse. This important recommendation was heavily championed by victim-survivors. It means that professionals may be criminalised for failing to report suspicions of child sexual abuse. It requires utmost care and thought when it comes to implementation, to ensure that the system is not overwhelmed by referrals (as has been reported in other countries). The government has issued a call for evidence on this recommendation (deadline 14 August 2023). 

  • A commitment to a redress scheme for victim-survivors. Practical details on how this will be implemented are lacking.  

  • Professional registration of staff. Applies to those working in care roles in children’s homes. There is no clarity as to whether this will extend to children in care-less (previously unregulated) settings aged 16 and 17. 

Rejected recommendations include –  

  • Establishing a dedicated cabinet minister for children. This would have ensured children’s best interests are represented at the highest level. But the government claims this role is ‘already fulfilled by the Secretary of State’ – a spurious claim to say the least.  

  • Banning pain-inducing restraint when children are detained. This would stop prison officers from inflicting severe pain on children. The inquiry highlighted that these violent techniques make children more vulnerable to abuse. 

  • A public awareness campaign to inform children, parents and the public about CSA, including how to report concerns. The government claims it has funded several – do you remember seeing any? 

  • Specialist therapeutic support for child victims. The government appears to have passed the buck to local authorities without committing to funding or legislative changes. 

Much of the government’s response is poorly constructed and vague – but one thing is clear. In failing to listen, it has become yet again another authority figure which silences victim-survivors.  

But the silence wasn’t just confined to the Tories. Both the opposition and the media were uncharacteristically quiet as well. News surrounding this report was eclipsed on two occasions. On the day the report was released, Liz Truss’ resignation dominated headlines. And on the day of the government’s response, Suella Braverman’s parking fine became bigger news than her response to the inquiry. It is not too far-fetched to ask whether this is all by design – a collective ploy to drown out the issue? 

Perhaps the most insulting aspect of the government’s response lies in its paternalistic attitude that it can somehow do better. Rather than listen to almost a decade of evidence, it presents further consultations as the answer. This seems to be a ploy for kicking the can down the road to the next party in power. 

There is a striking parallel with the government’s response to the care review – instead of heeding the wisdom of existing research from social workers, people with lived experience and academics, ‘pathfinders’ were framed as the answer.  

Once again, the government’s response leaves us with more questions than answers. Perhaps the biggest one is this – after seven years, 326 days of public hearings, 52 reports, and 6,200 lives forever blighted by CSA, when exactly will survivor voices be enough? 

Rebekah Pierre is a professional officer for BASW England and campaigner for children’s rights.

Find out more

BASW has several events lined up to help social workers tackle CSA.

Organised in conjunction with the Centre of Expertise on CSA (CSA Centre), a series of webinars will run in November this year.

Topics include the scale and nature of CSA, signs and indicators of CSA, how to speak with children about CSA, how to support parents and carers, and managing risk and trauma after online offending.

Keep checking the BASW events page for forthcoming details.