Former Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry Chair Criticizes UK Government's Response
Prof Alexis Jay condemns the Conservative government's lack of commitment to recommendations from a seven-year inquiry into child sexual abuse.
Prof Alexis Jay, chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), has criticized the UK government’s response to the inquiry’s recommendations as “awful, inconsequential, [and] insubstantial.” Speaking to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Jay highlighted her dissatisfaction with the Conservative government’s handling of the inquiry’s findings, which were published in October 2022.
The IICSA report included 20 recommendations aimed at addressing child sexual abuse, including proposals for a redress scheme for victims.
Initially, the response from Grant Shapps, then home secretary, was seen as encouraging.
However, Suella Braverman’s subsequent response as home secretary in May 2023 was met with disappointment.
Jay stated that the government’s written response lacked concrete commitments and failed to address the recommendations meaningfully, prompting anger among victims and survivors.
Jay also revealed that she had been contacted by a Home Office special adviser who questioned her decision to publicly criticize the government’s response in a letter to The Times.
She described the adviser’s tone as “adversarial” and reiterated her independence as chair of the inquiry.
The criticism comes amid renewed political debate over child sexual exploitation in the UK. Current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a national inquiry into grooming and rape gangs.
This follows calls from within the party and other groups, including Reform UK, for further investigation into the issue.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also faced calls for action after public comments on the topic by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has declined to initiate a new inquiry, opting instead to implement the recommendations from the IICSA report.
The inquiry, which spanned seven years, investigated systemic failures in handling child sexual abuse cases across various institutions.
A former Home Office adviser defended Braverman’s efforts, stating that her team worked “very hard” to push through a redress scheme for victims, though this was not reflected in the final government response.
Braverman has been approached for comment on the matter.
The IICSA report included 20 recommendations aimed at addressing child sexual abuse, including proposals for a redress scheme for victims.
Initially, the response from Grant Shapps, then home secretary, was seen as encouraging.
However, Suella Braverman’s subsequent response as home secretary in May 2023 was met with disappointment.
Jay stated that the government’s written response lacked concrete commitments and failed to address the recommendations meaningfully, prompting anger among victims and survivors.
Jay also revealed that she had been contacted by a Home Office special adviser who questioned her decision to publicly criticize the government’s response in a letter to The Times.
She described the adviser’s tone as “adversarial” and reiterated her independence as chair of the inquiry.
The criticism comes amid renewed political debate over child sexual exploitation in the UK. Current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for a national inquiry into grooming and rape gangs.
This follows calls from within the party and other groups, including Reform UK, for further investigation into the issue.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also faced calls for action after public comments on the topic by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has declined to initiate a new inquiry, opting instead to implement the recommendations from the IICSA report.
The inquiry, which spanned seven years, investigated systemic failures in handling child sexual abuse cases across various institutions.
A former Home Office adviser defended Braverman’s efforts, stating that her team worked “very hard” to push through a redress scheme for victims, though this was not reflected in the final government response.
Braverman has been approached for comment on the matter.
