Comment on IICSA final report

21 Oct 2022 in Safeguarding and Child Protection > Sexual Abuse & Exploitation >

Commenting on IICSA’s final report, ADCS President Steve Crocker said:

“The final report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse provides difficult but essential reading, for both professionals and the public and there is important learning to draw from it. Child sexual abuse and exploitation can have a devasting and lifelong impact on victims, their loved ones and wider society. It is important that all local authorities and partners who have a role to play in safeguarding children take note of this report and continue to improve on how we work together as public agencies to identify, prevent and disrupt the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people. The inquiry engaged with over 6,200 and survivors who came forward to tell their story, something which will have taken immense bravery and courage. Their voices must be heard as we reflect on the report and its recommendations.

“The Recommendations, which draw on 15 investigations over a seven year period, are wide ranging and we will consider their detail as an Association. It is positive that the final report calls for a greater awareness of child sexual abuse and seeks to hold internet companies to greater account. Recommendations for improving data collection in order to better understand the scale and prevalence of this type of abuse and the profile of perpetrators, are also broadly helpful. We know that greater action is needed to tackle the social and moral issues surrounding the root causes of abuse and exploitation, as is the need to tackle the casual acceptance of degrading and over sexualised representations of children and young people in our society today.

“There are a number of recommendations which will have implications for the sector and we await the government’s response to some of these, such as mandatory reporting and the creation of a Child Protection Authority. What is clear is the need for multi-agency working created through strong relationships and collaboration. The sector is in the midst of significant reform following a number of reviews and national reports with various recommendations for government. It is therefore important that any further reforms put in place are clearly linked to those already in train, such as those of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. We will continue to engage with government as we reflect on the report’s findings.”

ENDS