Child sex abuse probe hunts for victims – in jail

THE troubled child abuse inquiry is risking further controversy by going into prisons to ask criminals if they were molested when they were young.

Critics warn the plan could encourage inmates to make false allegations and lodge unwarranted claims for compensation.

The so-called ‘Truth Project’ is part of the £100million inquiry which allows survivors of child sex abuse to tell their stories, without their accounts being tested, challenged or contradicted.

Officials will go into jails later this year to ask prisoners to share their experiences, in the belief that many turned to crime after their lives went off the rails when they were abused as children.

Inmates’ stories may be published anonymously in official reports on the scale of past abuse and cover-ups in Britain’s schools, children’s homes and churches.

But barrister Barbara Hewson said: ‘I think it is trawling.

‘It’s all very well to say they want to look into institutional abuse but the more they do this and encourage people, some people will start to think maybe they can go for compensation.

‘They may well be people who have a long history of dishonesty and who see this as an opportunity to portray themselves as being wronged.’

Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who was questioned by Scotland Yard following lurid false allegations made by a fantasist, added: ‘There is no veracity in the Truth Project because statements are made to it without any checks.

‘Anyone can say anything about anyone and it is not checked, but it goes down in history as truth. Many of the prisoners will have lied to the courts, but the inquiry has the default position that they believe what is said.’

Although claims will not be challenged by inquiry staff, cases will be handed to police to investigate, and prison and probation staff have been briefed about the plan to take the project into jails.

The huge public inquiry into historic child abuse has been beset by problems since it was set up by Theresa May in July 2014. Its first three chairwomen quit, and it has still not held a single public evidence session under its latest chairwoman, Professor Alexis Jay. In addition, five of its top lawyers have quit.

A spokesman for the inquiry said: ‘The Truth Project is open to all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, wherever they are.

‘There is evidence to suggest that victims and survivors are over-represented in the prison population. Therefore, we are planning a phased roll-out of the Truth Project in prisons in 2017.

‘The Truth Project does not have legal consequences, but lets victims and survivors of child sexual abuse bear witness.’

The project’s first report is due to be published in September.