letter to the Home Secretary

16/07/2014

Dear Theresa May,

I am writing regarding the Historic Child Abuse investigations.

I am pleased that an overarching inquiry was called, especially as some children were traffiked from one care home to another and abused repeatedly in different care homes in different areas.

There is a feeling among survivors that perhaps the Government do not have a full understanding of the impact of abuse on victims/survivors, nor the damage that re-living the abuse does to a person.
And many are having to, and will have to re-live their abuse as a result of this inquiry.

I would like to suggest that the government consults with and includes both abuse survivors and also charities who support survicors, and includes both on the panel investigating abuse. Otherwise the Government and survivors may continue to have communication issues and disagree. Which will make the inquiry hard for all.
However, the NSPCC, due to their links to individuals such as Jimmy Savile are not ideal for input to the Inquiry, as their role also needs to be investigated.
I believe that there is currently a member of the NSPCC, Peter Wanless, who is conflicted by being given the role of investigating an organization that he was once a member of, and that is not a great start.

From experience, NAPAC would be a good charity to have a say, as they focus on Childhood abuse and it's effects and, in my experience, have provided me with invaluable support. I also know local charities with such excellent care for survivors, who should maybe have a say.

I would also like to comment that the Church of England should not have a say in who chairs or leads the inquiry, as, they also need to be investigated, and as a survivor of severe harm and unresolved cover-ups at the hands of the Church of England, I would feel that their involvement would obstruct inquiries, as would involvement by the Catholic Church, who are showing less interest in the National Inquiry than the Church of England.

I know it is hard for people who have not suffered abuse to understand the feelings and needs of survivors, but I would ask that you and the government seriously consider what survivors are asking for, and thus help to heal damaged lives and bring some justice.

Finally, I would like to add that quite a number of people believe that Jersey should be included in the National Inquiry. This is because children were traffiked to and from Jersey and UK care homes and abused at both, by a group of linked individuals, and also because Jersey's authorities have obstructed inquiries and interfered with evidence and intimidated survivors for decades.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

sincerely,

HG