Child abuse victims ‘face denial of justice’

Dugdale calls for widening of inquiry after football allegations emerge

Kezia Dugdale has called on the First Minister to widen Scotland’s child abuse inquiry to cover victims of the paedophile scandal embroiling football.

The Scottish Labour leader said many abuse survivors are being “denied justice” by the narrow focus of the inquiry, which only covers those harmed while in care.

But Nicola Sturgeon said extending the remit could make the process last years longer than planned, leaving incare victims facing unacceptable delays.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Dugdale said: “This inquiry holds out the promise of justice, but in restricting just who and what will be investigated it will deny that justice.

“As it currently stands, the inquiry is excluding the vast majority of people who were abused.”

Ms Sturgeon said the allegations of abuse are “extremely serious and they sicken all of us”.

She added: “Widening the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk becoming completely unwieldy, and I think that we would be at risk of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse.”

She said the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, which was established in October last year, must be allowed to get on with its job and that it is for police to investigate the allegations coming out of football.

She added: “As the police inquiries take their course, if it does emerge that there are wider systemic issues to be addressed then, of course, we would consider very seriously about how that should be taken forward.”

As it currently stands, the inquiry is excluding the vast majority of people who were abused. KEZIA DUGDALE