The abuse inquiry will only benefit lawyers
THE Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse continues to stagger from one crisis to the next. Its remit is to scrutinise institutions in England and Wales from Westminster to the Church, from schools to the Armed Forces, for the possibility of historical abuse during the past 60 years. The present estimate of its cost is £100 million by the year 2020, so you can bet it will ultimately go way beyond that amount of taxpayers’ money (and probably go way beyond 2020). Meanwhile, we’re witnessing cuts to legal aid to assist, for example, all those women who have been battered relentlessly by their partners and have no recourse because of a lack of funds. It seems there isn’t enough money to furnish our society with a fully resourced police force or to help those who seek justice for modern-day crimes. But we do have enough to support an inquiry which ultimately will benefit mainly lawyers and administrative staff who will be working on this unwieldy investigation for many years to come. The Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war lasted nigh on a decade, and its purpose was far more defined, which doesn’t augur well for the latest 13 ongoing investigations about historical abuse. This latest inquiry is all about salving the national conscience for past mistakes, and there is no country better than Britain at beating itself up for its historical shortcomings. Of course, it’s important to learn lessons about past institutional failings, but the best way forward is to pause, reflect and divert all this money which is evidently available to investigate thoroughly and without bias serious allegations of abuse case by case (and I don’t refer to complaints about being touched on a clothed bottom 30 years ago). Most of those on whom this inquiry will be focused will either now be in their dotage or dead, and I see little point in spending copious, valuable resources naming and shaming them and their institutions, particularly because the emotion surrounding the topic of child abuse will mean we’re unlikely to end up with a fair, balanced picture. But the ‘survivor’ groups won’t permit it.
SIMON WARR, Osterley, Middx.