Sex predator victims ‘failed by institutions meant to protect them’
THE chair of a major inquiry into child sexual abuse said institutions in north Wales failed to protect young victims from sexual predators.
Professor Alexis Jay said she and her team wanted to hear accounts of people who were let down by those who were meant to look after them.
The Truth Project, which is being run as part of the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse, will be in Bangor and Caernarfon in October, where trained staff will be on hand for one-to-one sessions with victims.
Professor Jay said: “For too long the voices of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse have not been heard and many have been made to feel ashamed for reporting the abuse in the first place.
”We set up the Truth Project with the aim of allowing victims and survivors to share their experience with us in a safe and confidential environment. The Truth Project aims to give victims and survivors an opportunity to share their experiences in as much or as little detail as they feel comfortable with.
“Victims and survivors are also able to suggest how things can be done differently, which may help to protect children in the future.
“Hearing from victims and survivors in the Truth Project will help the Inquiry to draw conclusions about institutional failures.
“Many children in north Wales have been failed by the institutions that were supposed to protect them. As chair of this inquiry it’s my responsibility to examine to what extent institutions, including children’s homes, the police, local authorities, and religious organisations may have failed to protect children from sexual abuse.
“Some people may be unsure about what constitutes child sexual abuse and some may even have experienced it without realising.
“Child sexual abuse means forcing or enticing someone under the age of 18 to take part in sexual activities.
“It doesn’t have to involve physical contact. For example, it could be encouraging children to watch pornograpy or to sext.]
“It might be that the sexual abuse is carried out by a person in a position of authority, such as a teacher or someone who works in a children’s home.
“Or, the abuse might have taken place within the family environment but it was reported to someone in authority, such as a police officer, a teacher or a social worker but no action, or inappropriate action, was taken.
“I know that talking about child sexual abuse is not easy. Victims and survivors have often told me they feel stigmatised, ashamed, and guilty because of what happened to them.
“But I would like to encourage all victims and survivors to think about coming forward. The Truth Project was designed with help from victims and survivors to be as supportive as possible.
“You can share your experiences in Welsh or in English and we can pay travel expenses for you and for a companion to attend the session with you.
“The failure to listen to victims and survivors in the past is one reason why the inquiry was established and our aim is leave a legacy of a society which better understands the causes, nature and impact of child sexual abuse, so that institutions and individuals can never again say: ‘We did not know.’”