UNITED KINGDOM
Christian Science Monitor
By Denise Hassanzade Ajiri, Staff writer JULY 9, 2015
Britain has launched a potentially years-long investigation into decades of alleged abuse in Britain’s schools, hospitals, and other institutions.
The independent inquiry will be spearheaded by New Zealand High Court Judge Lowell Goddard, who was brought in to chair the investigatory panel after previous chairs resigned due to potential conflicts of interest, the BBC reports.
The sweeping investigation could last until 2020, Justice Goddard said on Thursday, adding that the scope of the crimes could be much broader than is currently understood. One estimate, referenced by Goddard, suggests that as many as one in 20 children have endured some level of sexual abuse.
“No one, no matter how apparently powerful, will be allowed to obstruct our inquiries,” Godard said Thursday. “No one will be immune from scrutiny by virtue of their position.”
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