‘Child sex abuse victims like me are being failed but a new inquiry won’t help’

A survivor of child sexual abuse and lawyers for other victims say they want the Government to make changes to protect children who are still being failed – rather than hold another public inquiry.

Politicians have been engaged in a row over the scandal of grooming gangs since last week, fuelled by comments from tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Louise Raw, a historian and campaigner, was sexually abused by two men after going into care as a child and says the recent political debate has been retraumatising for victims.

“Every time this issue is kicked around politically the feelings of vulnerability and helplessness return for me – the feeling of being used by men who say they care about you,” she said.

“After Musk’s intervention I once again dreamed about my first abuser, when I was 4 to 13, and could smell his breath and cologne.”

The X owner launched a torrent of accusations against the Government over its handling of historic child sexual abuse claims, which has seen him call for the release of jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – as well as make attacks on Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips.

It has prompted calls for a national inquiry into the scandal, which the Prime Minister has rejected. A Conservative Party motion calling for a public inquiry failed in a Commons vote on Wednesday night.

Sir Keir Starmer accused Opposition MPs of “jumping on a bandwagon” and “amplifying what the far right is saying” by tabling the amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Raw, who waved her right to anonymity, said that rather than a new public inquiry, she wants to see action to better protect children against the threat of abuse.

“Those calling for an inquiry tend to not know there have been inquiries, or that survivors have worked so hard to expose abuse and implement real change locally,” she said.

“This takes away agency from survivors and leaves them with politically motivated men speaking for them – we have had enough of being ignored.”

A number of inquiries into child sexual exploitation, including crimes involving grooming gangs, have already been carried out at both a local and national level.

Raw called for the 20 recommendations made in the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) published in October 2022 to be implemented, rather than any new investigation.

“No more delays, no more inquiries just kicking the can down the road,” she added.

“Kids are at risk now – we can’t wait years more just to satisfy the ego of Musk, and his one-sided beef with Keir Starmer.”

Her thoughts were echoed by Nathalie Swanwick, a solicitor at the firm Simpson Millar which has represented many victims of child sexual abuse.

“The amount of money that was spent on the IICSA inquiry, for no recommendations to have been implemented yet is staggering,” Ms Swanwick said.

“I’m not sure you would want to delay the implementation of recommendations for a brand-new inquiry that could take a number of years.

“The inquiry was so retraumatising for victims, seeing all the evidence, reading the statements. For the recommendations not to be implemented is worrying, because what’s the point of another inquiry?

“We need to sort out the issues that are happening now.”

Among recommendations made in the IICSA report was a proposal to reform rules around limitations which make it more difficult for victims of child sexual abuse to pursue civil claims for compensation.

Swanwick said despite promises, the legal loophole has not yet been closed and she has had a client abused by a grooming gang in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, who recently lost a claim because it was deemed “out of time”.

Victims are also struggling to get mental health support which could be made easier if they received compensation via a national redress scheme, she added.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said those who cover up or fail to report child sexual abuse could face professional or criminal sanctions under a new offence to be added to the Crime and Policing Bill this spring.

She told MPs that “far too little has actually been done” to tackle child sexual abuse despite multiple inquiries making recommendations in light of the grooming gang scandal.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Starmer said a national inquiry would “delay things until 2031”.

Swanwick’s colleague Claire Macmaster, is currently representing the family of Victoria Byrne-Agoglia, a 15-year-old girl who was abused by a grooming gang for years while under the care of Manchester city council.

She died in 2003 after being injected with heroin by a 50-year-old man.

The tragedy prompted the launch of Operation Augusta, an investigation into grooming gang perpetrators carried out by Greater Manchester Police which identified around 100 suspects but was abruptly shut down in 2005 for resource reasons.

A fresh inquest into the death of Vicky, as she was known by family, has been ordered by the High Court but may be delayed as GMP have since made a number of arrests.

“All the family want, and they’ve been fighting for a long time, is to understand – how did Vicky die in the way that she did when she was under the care of the local authority?” Macmaster said.

“They just want to have answers and they’re really keen for the inquest to happen.”

The solicitor added that there has already been “so many” inquiries into child sexual abuse and questioned their value.

“Children need to be protected and victims who have been abused need to be assisted to recover from that in a way that is not retraumatising,” she said.

“Whether there’s another inquiry or not, what’s the value? What do they add? That’s what I think the debate should be, we’ve had IICSA, now crack on.”