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Goddard inquiry into child abuse arrives in Manchester promising to 'give a voice to the victims'
By Neal Keeling
[with video] An investigation which will give a voice to victims of child sexual abuse is coming to Manchester. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse will investigate whether police, councils, and other non-state institutions shirked their duty to protect children from sexual abuse in England and Wales. The wide-scale inquiry aims to identify institutional failings and make practical recommendations to protect youngsters from abuse. The inquiry team will be in Manchester on Thursday, May 19. It is led by judge Dame Lowell Goddard supported by an independent panel and child experts. There have already been a number of high-profile investigations into abuse in Greater Manchester, including the grooming of children in Rochdale and specifically abuse at the town’s notorious Knowl View school. GMP launched Operation Clifton in July 2014 into Knowl View in the wake of a book by the town’s MP, Simon Danczuk, which detailed alleged widespread abuse at Knowl View by Cyril Smith and others. The book claimed there had been a cover up by Rochdale council and a failure by police to investigate persistent claims of abuse at the now-closed Bamford school in the 80s and 90s. It was jointly run by Bolton, Oldham, and Rochdale councils and Lancashire County Council. Dame Goddard told the M.E.N: “Tomorrow, I will be in Manchester, speaking directly with some of the organisations in the north west who support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. "It is an opportunity to hear first-hand from some of the specialist support providers who work with the victims and survivors in the region. “My visit also marks the start of the Inquiry’s Truth Project in the north west of England. “Our Truth Project will enable victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, where an institution failed to protect them, to share their experience with the Inquiry either in person at a private session, or in writing. “It will give a voice to the victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and, importantly, enable them to contribute to the work of the Inquiry. "The experiences shared will help us to gain a better understanding of the nature and patterns of child sexual abuse, and will help to explain why many crimes went unreported and undetected for so long. "It will help us to better understand the scale and impact of the sexual abuse of children in England and Wales. “Truth Project private sessions allow victims and survivors to share their experiences informally in a safe and confidential environment. "In due course, we may publish these accounts in an anonymised way to give those who shared their experience a chance to be heard. “We will share these experiences in the hope that they will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of child sexual abuse on the lives of victims and survivors, and their families, and help us all contribute in a compelling and constructive way to making our institutions safe for children today and for generations to come.” Following a successful Truth Project pilot in Liverpool at the end of last year, the Inquiry is now set to commence its private sessions in the north west of England in the coming weeks. Anyone attending a Truth Project private session may bring a friend, member of the family or other support provider to the session. Specialist professionals will be available to provide additional support if requested throughout the process. Dame Goddard said: “I am immensely grateful for the courage shown by each and every person who has already chosen to share their experience with us. "Sharing these personal experiences makes a unique contribution to our work. I hope others will now take the opportunity to do so. "We are committed to supporting people through this process and providing the professional support that individuals may request and need. “The scope and size of the Inquiry is unprecedented and came about as a result of catastrophic failures of institutions, in some cases over decades, to recognise and address the extent and impact of child sexual abuse in England and Wales. "Our task is challenging: but the Panel and I are committed to delivering findings, conclusions, and recommendations, within a credible timeframe. That is a compelling reason to remain focussed, driven and energised on the task at hand.”
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