The 20 research proposals on child abuse: what has happened so far?

In October 2022, child protection expert Professor Alexis Jay concluded a seven-year investigation into the countless ways in which children had been sexually abused in England and Wales.

He had presided over hundreds of days of evidence in which victims described the treatment they received and those charged with protecting them were held accountable for their failings.

His team had investigated abuses in churches, schools, custodial institutions, political parties, religious groups and children’s homes.

It found that for decades, children had been harmed online and offline, in the UK and abroad, by individuals and networks of pedophiles, including grooming gangs, on the streets of British towns and cities.

His conclusion: the nation had been scarred by an “epidemic that left thousands of victims in its wake.”

The abuse was often covered up by institutions that “prioritized their reputations over the well-being of those they had a duty to protect.”

His investigation was not a court. No one will go to prison for her findings, but she had the power to make recommendations for change and monitor whether they occurred.

There were 20 in the final report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The Conservative government was tasked with delivering them, but lost last year’s general election. Now, 27 months after the first recommendations were made, they are all still pending. The new Labor government says it is “working at a good pace” to meet them.

The most important reform Professor Jay recommended was that people in regulated jobs working with children should have a duty to report any abuse they witness or are told about by the child or perpetrator. Failure to do so would be a criminal offense.

The Conservative government agreed but, to the dismay of activists, decided that the sanction would be less severe: a ban on working with children. Only those who actively prevent the authorities from finding out about the abuses will commit a criminal offense. This policy was due to come to Parliament in 2024, but elections were called before it could become law.

The Labor government has resurrected the issue, with Inside Minister Yvette Cooper. telling the Commons on Monday 6 January would introduce criminal sanctions for both covering up child sexual abuse and failing to report it. The government says mandatory reporting will be part of the crime and policing bill due this spring.

The research recommended a major effort to produce better data on child abuse, creating a single core set of figures covering the age, sex and ethnicity of victims and perpetrators, the places where abuse occurs and the factors that make children vulnerable.

Conservatives set up research projects in various government departments to improve the data. Suella Braverman, then Inside minister, created what she described as a “preparation gang task force”. The police did not like the description of abuse gangs and renamed it the child sexual exploitation task force, as it would also fight groups of abusers in institutions, families and online.

It provides intelligence and expertise to police forces through a variety of programs and has begun collecting consistent data. However, it is difficult to obtain statistics on the ethnicity of abusers, a key issue in the debate over recruiting gangs.

Professor Jay’s investigation found that police were “not confident” in collecting this information. A suspect’s race can only be definitively identified after he or she has been arrested, by asking him or her at a time when he or she has the right to remain silent.

The latest figures show that there is a long way to go. In 2023, police fighting organized abuse recorded the ethnicity of 34% of suspects and 47% of victims. Cooper says he is working to “improve the accuracy and robustness of data and analysis.”

Professor Jay recommended the appointment of a new cabinet minister for children. Several junior ministers are responsible for aspects of young people’s lives, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson assists cabinet, but there is no minister with the title predicted by the inquiry.

A major change involves the recommendation of a child protection authority for England and Wales. Conservatives preferred instead to make existing institutions work better.

The new government wants what has been described as a “fuller conversation” about a new authority. Its creation would involve the participation of several government departments. Lucy Duckworth, from campaign group Act On IICSA, says it should function like the Health and Safety Executive, providing training and support to protect children.

The recommendation for a national public awareness campaign It remains pending, although the government already finances a series of campaigns. Professor Jay wanted it to extend to content on television and digital channels, but also to use “positive models” in creative media such as drama.

They include better registration of personnel in children’s homesas well as Institutions for young offenders and secure training centres.. She demanded greater use of investigation and exclusion list of approved employees, that the government took steps to improve compliance with him, and his outreach to those working with children abroad. These measures were “in progress”, according to an update from the Conservative government in 2023.

A related recommendation is Prohibit institutional staff from using pain. to get children to comply. The last government did not clearly commit to this, saying that in 2023 it could be necessary to prevent serious physical harm to a child or adult.

Duckworth says banning the use of pain restraint devices is essential, saying it amounts to “legalizing a form of child abuse,” and notes that some perpetrators may deliberately seek out jobs where they can hurt children.

The last government was concerned about the implications of the proposed change the Children’s Law give courts powers over local councils when children are at risk. This has not happened.

During the seven years of Professor Jay’s investigation, online abuse grew steadily. She recommended platform providers. preselection of known child sexual abuse materials.

Conservatives passed the Online Safety Act. Ofcom now requires some web companies to remove harmful images using databases containing profiles of known child abuse images.

the act toughens the law on online age verificationanother research recommendation. Ofcom to publish new guidelines for porn sites. The investigation’s lawsuit covered a broader group of “online services and social media platforms.” In response, Ofcom said it would expect “much greater use of age management systems” in the future.

There were a number of recommendations for the courts, police and prosecutors. Professor Jay wanted to end the Three-year limit for abuse victims to sue for damagesas it often takes them longer to feel able to reveal what happened. The conservatives began a consultation that ended shortly before the elections.

The call for research single repair plan Whether victims of institutional abuse request a payment that reflects their experiences remains pending. It could cost billions, with central and local governments footing the bill.

Changes in the Criminal Injury Compensation Plan It was recommended to expand the scope of compensation to cover the mental health effects of abuse. Work is in progress.

The proposal of a National guarantee of specialized therapy for child victims. It will be a challenge for the government to respond. The Jay Inquiry demanded that it be “fully funded” and that councils provide the service. However, children’s mental health centers are under pressure and local authorities are already struggling to provide social care services.

Another big problem in historical cases has been access to records related to child abuse in the hands of the authorities. The task of ensuring this is possible has been assigned to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

An investigation to determine whether the criminal justice system was Complying with the Victims Code. is being carried out. However, the investigation requested it for the first time in 2018.

The government has prioritized consultation with victims and survivors of abuse. It has announced a panel to work with ministers to deliver the recommendations.

Professor Jay has said she is “frustrated” by the slow progress in implementing her reforms. This is partly due to the change of government.

The Labor Party says it is committed to all the recommendations, but will not give a timetable for meeting them.

Just as research found that child abuse affects many areas of life, solutions involve a wide range of government departments and institutions, making the delivery of recommendations a complex task.