Hunger-strike walk to protest over inquiry
AMAN from Bristol is preparing to walk all the way to London - while on hunger strike at the same time.
Steve Neblett, from St Werburgh’s, is embarking on the 120mile trip during Christmas and the New Year period. He thinks it will take him between 15 and 20 days - all while he refuses to eat food on the way.
Mr Neblett, 56, wants to raise awareness the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
Mr Neblett said he feels so strongly the inquiry is becoming a cover-up he is prepared to risk his health, and go on a ‘ potentially dangerous’ challenge, to highlight the issue.
The inquiry opened in July 2015 to investigate ‘serious failings’ of public bodies and institutions in not preventing, or covering up, child sex abuse within their organisations.
In the four years since the inquiry was announced, it has been beset by controversy. It has had four different chairpersons, several other senior lawyers to the inquiry have left their positions, and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said the inquiry faced a ‘crisis of credibility’.
Then, the largest victims’ group involved in the inquiry, the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association, said it was withdrawing from its involvement, describing the inquiry as a ‘debacle’.
Mr Neblett said: “It is intriguing, and disturbing, that all the people involved in running the inquiry at the start have resigned or pulled out.
“It was such a hot potato that they did not want to pursue things further. They were probably absolutely astounded at what was being discovered. The subject is so profound because it’s to do with children being abused, and files have been lost and those with the authority have set this up to be a cover-up.
“Children are vulnerable and the Government has become complacent, distracted and idle for far too long, and I believe it’s up to the community at large to act,” he said.
“I’ve walked to London before, two years ago, but I was able to eat then,” he said. “Helping and serv- ing others can be our only true and noble legacy.
“That’s the situation I’m in - I wanted to lend a helping hand. I don’t have the money to do a big campaign, I don’t have fame or a name to use to speak out.
“The only tools at my disposal are a protest walk on hunger strike. To refrain from eating is such a powerful instrument, the simplest but strongest thing we can do,” he added.
Mr Neblett plans to set off on December 21 He will be walking solo, camping on the way, and will be refraining from food over Christmas Day and into New Year.
Mr Neblett is perhaps better known in Bristol as veteran street artist Ghostdance.
As an 18-year-old, he spent time in a Young Offenders’ Institute, and years later was contacted by the police as part of an inquiry into sex abuse by those in authority there.
“Myself, I had no idea that was going on while I was there, but looking back, I can still picture exactly who would have become a victim to that going on,” he said.
“Abusers target the vulnerable and the quiet ones who are unlikely to speak out. I was one of the mouthy ones there, so they steered clear of me,” he added.