The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans for the mandatory reporting of child abuse allegations
Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon she said
“We will make it mandatory to report abuse… making it an offense to fail to report or cover up child sexual abuse. The protection of institutions must never be put before the protection of children“
“These crimes” she added “have not been taken seriously for too long, and far too many children have been failed, that is why this Government is determined to act” and in reply to criticism over the last few days said that it was never an excuse to use race and ethnicity… as an excuse not to investigate and punish sex offenders
She announced that The Government will be establishing a “victims and survivors panel” to advise on “wider work around child sexual exploitation and abuse
She told MPs: “We now need new impetus and action. Since coming into office, the safeguarding minister has met with Professor Alexis Jay and survivors and convened the first dedicated cross-government group to drive forward change and to ensure that victims’ voices remain at the very heart of this process.
“I can tell the House that we will set up a new victims and survivors panel to work on an ongoing basis with the inter-ministerial group to guide them on the design, delivery and implementation of new proposals and plans, not just on the IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) inquiry, but on wider work around child sexual exploitation and abuse and we will set out more details and timescales based on that work.”
