Child sexual abuse inquiry chair urges government to act
Prof Alexis Jay, the former chair of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, has emphasized the need for the “full implementation” of the reforms outlined in her 2022 report, which highlighted the “endemic” abuse present across society in England and Wales.
A campaign group led by Prof Jay, called Act on IICSA, has urged ministers to commit to a “clear timeline” for adopting the recommendations put forward by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The government has expressed support for the proposed changes.
The group has cautioned against “politicizing” the issue of sexual violence and countered “misinformation.”
Prof Jay also distanced herself from calls by the Conservatives and Reform UK for a new inquiry into grooming gangs.
The IICSA national inquiry, established in 2015, conducted 15 investigations, including into grooming gangs and abuse in schools and religious settings.
Prof Jay had previously led a major local inquiry into widespread abuse in Rotherham, where an estimated 1,400 children were exploited between 1997 and 2013, primarily by men of Pakistani descent.
The final IICSA report, published in 2022, made 20 recommendations aimed at reducing child suffering. These included creating a national child protection authority, implementing stricter regulations on who can work with vulnerable children, legislating for tech companies to take stronger action against online abuse material, and criminalizing the failure to report abuse.
In a statement released on Sunday, Act on IICSA emphasized: “Politicizing sexual violence undermines recognition of its lifelong impact and obstructs the urgent overhaul needed for our systems.”
Prof Jay added: “Our goal is not to call for new inquiries, but to push for the full implementation of IICSA’s recommendations.”
She has previously said she was “frustrated” at the previous Conservative government’s lack of progress in adopting the recommendations and described its response as “weak”, which the Home Office disputed at the time.
On Sunday, Act on IICSA also said recent media coverage of child sexual abuse has highlighted a “troubling trend of misinformation that undermines the true scale of the crisis and the pressing need for reform”.
Speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government was prioritizing “getting on with” implementing the recommendations.
Prof Jay’s comments came after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called for a national public inquiry into the UK’s “rape gangs scandal” on Thursday, which Reform leader Nigel Farage also supports.
The issue of grooming gangs was put back in the spotlight after Home Office Minister Jess Phillips rejected Oldham Council’s request for a government-led inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation in the town, in favor of a locally-led investigation.
That decision was criticised by senior Tory and Reform figures, while billionaire Elon Musk also fuelled online anger over the move in a series of posts on social media.
