UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian
Owen Bowcott
@owenbowcott
Thursday 9 July 2015
Justice Lowell Goddard’s child sex abuse inquiry will name individuals and organisations it concludes were involved in abuse, and pass on allegations for police to investigate.
It intends to search for patterns in the repeated failures that allowed serial offenders to exploit organisations working with children and will look at five key areas, including allegations of abuse by prominent people in public life.
At the opening of the hearing on Thursday, Goddard said she would also look at:
• Faith and religious organisations.
• The criminal justice system.
• Local authorities – including children’s services and children’s homes.
• National institutions such as the NHS and Ministry of Defence, including abuse of 16- and 17-year-olds in the armed forces.
Speaking at the beginning of the inquiry, Goddard said: “The task ahead of us is daunting. The sexual abuse of children over successive generations has left permanent scars not only on the victims themselves but on society as a whole.
“This inquiry provides a unique opportunity to expose past failures of institutions to protect children, to confront those responsible, to uncover systemic failures, to provide support to victims and survivors in sharing their experiences and to make recommendations that will help prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the future.”
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