Ex-Judge Butler-Sloss to Lead Wide-Ranging Review into Claims of an Establishment Cover-up of Child Sex Abuse
Daily Mail UK, 8 July 2014
Former top judge Baroness Butler-Sloss is to lead the wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse.
She will lead the panel of experts investigating allegations that politicians, the police, celebrities, the BBC, the NHS and the Church conspired to cover-up abuse over several decades.
Home Secretary Theresa May said the inquiry would examine whether a string of organisations failed in their ‘duty of care’ to protect children from harm.
Former High Court judge Baroness Butler-Sloss is to lead the independent inquiry into child sex abuse
For months MPs from all parties had called for an independent inquiry to be set up.
Yesterday, Mrs May finally bowed to pressure and said she was now willing to establish an inquiry panel, based on the Hillsborough Inquiry, which could start more quickly than a full-scale public inquiry.
If the panel members - who are yet to be appointed - demands it, ministers could convert it to a public inquiry at a later date.
However, the scale of the task means it is 'not likely' to report in full before the general election in May 2015.
Today it was announced that the panel will be chaired by Baroness Butler-Sloss, a former president of the Family Division of the High Court who chaired the Cleveland Child Abuse Inquiry.
Baroness Butler-Sloss said: ‘I'm honoured to have been invited to lead this inquiry. The next step is to appoint the panel and agree the terms of reference. ‘We will begin this important work as soon as possible.’
The wide-ranging probe was ordered amid mounting public concern at organisations failing to protect children.
It includes years of attacks carried out by celebrities including Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris, as well as the systematic abuse of vulnerable girls in areas including Derby, Rochdale and Oxford.
Mrs May said: ‘In recent years, we have seen appalling cases of organised and persistent child sex abuse that have exposed serious failings by public bodies and important institutions.
‘That is why the government has established an independent panel of experts to consider whether these organisations have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse.’
Details of the scope of the inquiry will be agreed when all of the members of the panel have been appointed.
The government has committed to 'maximum transparency' to release all reports, reviews and files are made available to the panel.
It could include reports from Special Branch, intelligence services and submissions sent to Prime Ministers.
Mrs May said it would ensure that where there has been a failure to protect children from abuse 'we will expose it and we will learn from it'.