Tory response to child sexual abuse inquiry was ‘awful’, says chair
The Guardian22 Jan 2025Rajeev Syal Home affairs editor
▲ Prof Jay said ministers ‘committed to nothing’ on the recommendations
The last Conservative government issued an “awful, inconsequential, insubstantial” response to a sevenyear national inquiry into child sexual abuse, according to its chair.
Prof Alexis Jay, who led the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA), told MPs the response from the then home secretary, Suella Braverman, to the 20 recommendations had “committed to nothing”.
Jay’s condemnation came after the current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the prime minister, Keir Starmer, for resisting calls to launch another national inquiry into grooming and rape gangs.
The IICSA report, which included an examination of child sexual exploitation by organised networks, was released in October 2022, in the final days of Liz Truss’s administration.
Jay told MPs the initial response from Grant Shapps, home secretary at the time, had left her feeling “much encouraged”. But after the collapse of Truss’s government, Braverman returned as home secretary and her written response to the report, in May 2023, had been “awful”, Jay said.
Jay told MPs: “I cannot tell you how it felt to constantly read the response, when we got the final printed version … It was inconsequential, insubstantial, committed to nothing. And the wording used very often amongst the 20 recommendations was ‘we accept the need for’ whatever it was, but made no specific commitment. The reaction of all of us, but mostly victims and survivors, was such huge disappointment and anger.”
Jay said she had been criticised by a Home Office special adviser after she had written to the Times describing the government’s response to her inquiry as weak. She told the home affairs select committee yesterday that she had received a call from the Home Office while on holiday.
"The last Conservative government issued an “awful, inconsequential, insubstantial” response to a seven-year national inquiry into child sexual abuse, according to its chair." [Guardian]
