SNP refuse to extend inquiry on sex abuse
VICTIMS voiced anger yesterday after John Swinney refused to extend the remit of Scotland’s child abuse inquiry.
The Deputy First Minister said he would be ‘failing’ the survivors of in-care abuse if he opened up the inquiry’s scope to include incidents at youth groups and day schools.
The statutory probe was set up to examine allegations of abuse from youngsters in children’s homes and foster care, as well as those cared for by faith-based groups or in long-term hospital care and boarding schools.
While some abuse survivors have called for the scope to be expanded to include victims of abuse in non-residential settings, Mr Swinney said such a move would mean the inquiry would take ‘many more years to conclude’.
But last night one group representing abuse victims accused ministers of being ‘more concerned about saving money than addressing the needs of survivors’.
Alan Draper, parliamentary liaison officer of In Care Abuse Survivors, said: ‘The Government continues to fail countless survivors and ignore the criminal behaviour of some large institutions.’
However, some victims welcomed the decision.
The group Former Boys and Girls Abused of Quarriers Homes said: ‘The change to the inquiry remit is a positive change and will bring clarity to this now.
‘We were not supportive of widening the remit to such a degree whereby it had a major impact on the timescale. We were mindful of the issues that have occurred regarding the English child abuse inquiry.’
Mr Swinney told MSPs the inquiry would look at allegations made by those who were in care at the time ‘where institutions and bodies had legal responsibility for the long-term care of children in the place of the parent’.
But he ruled out it considering cases of alleged abuse in day schools and youth groups ‘where others had a duty of care on a short-term basis but crucially were not in any way replacing the role of parents’.
Mr Swinney said: ‘In too many cases, terrible crimes were committed in those settings too. Criminal behaviour should be referred to the police and I hope, where the evidence exists, this will be energetically pursued through the criminal courts.’
He updated MSPs on progress with the inquiry after its
‘Continues to fail survivors’
chairman Lady Smith’s predecessor Susan O’Brien, QC, and another panel member stepped down earlier this year amid claims it was ‘doomed’ due to ministers’ interference.
Professor Michael Lamb, the other panel member who stepped down, will not be replaced, Mr Swinney said, adding Lady Smith is ‘content’ with that.
He confirmed the Scottish Government has introduced its first Bill since May’s Holyrood election, with legislation being brought forward to remove the three-year time bar on abuse victims making a claim in the civil courts.
The Limitation (Childhood Abuse) (Scotland) Bill will cover sexual, physical and emotional abuse, Mr Swinney said.
He also announced a consultation with abuse survivors and others about possible financial redress, pledging to ‘fully explore the issues and gather a wide range of views’.
Scottish Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said the decision over the inquiry seemed to be a ‘serious mistake’ by the Government.
He added: ‘We welcome the minor clarification of the inquiry’s remit today, however it does mean that the vast majority of survivors of abuse will still be excluded from the scope of this inquiry, which will leave those survivors and their representatives frustrated.’
A Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry spokesman said: ‘The independent inquiry continues to make progress with its important work as it seeks to investigate how children were failed and make recommendations to ensure children in care are protected now and in the future.’
A spokesman for charity NSPCC Scotland said: ‘We welcome the plans to explore redress for victims of abuse, no matter when the crimes against them were carried out.’