New Zealand Judge to Head U.K. Child-Abuse Probe

By Alexis Flynn
Wall Street Journal
February 4, 2015

http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-zealand-judge-to-head-u-k-child-abuse-probe-1423076004

LONDON—The British government on Wednesday named a New Zealand judge to lead a high-profile inquiry into child abuse by prominent figures, including lawmakers, to put back on track an effort that had faced some setbacks.

The government pledged to set up the broad-ranging inquiry last summer in the wake of a series of child-abuse scandals, including investigations that revealed widespread abuse in children’s care homes and allegations of abuse dating back decades by lawmakers and well-known individuals in the entertainment industry.

The inquiry was established to investigate whether public bodies and other nonstate institutions have neglected, or even covered-up, decades of child abuse. Home Secretary Theresa May named Lowell Goddard, a New Zealand high court judge who oversaw a similar probe in her native country in 2009 to lead the U.K. investigation.

Ms. Goddard will face a pre-appointment hearing on Feb. 11 before a panel of lawmakers, Ms. May said in an address to parliament.

Ms. Goddard, 66 years old, will be expected to interview more than a hundred abuse victims and other witnesses as well as parse reams of classified documents. She will have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence and any allegations of criminal activity will be passed to the relevant authorities, Ms. May said.