Central to the Inquiry’s final report is the voice of 1000s of victims and survivors who bravely shared their testimonies of child sexual abuse. Those voices must be heard and action has to be taken.
We now know the scale of the failings of some institutions to protect children, and in some shameful cases to cover it up. At the heart of these failings was an inability or an unwillingness to listen to what children were saying.
But these are not just the failings of the past. As children’s lives become more complex, there are even greater risks. Yet the child protection system has never been more fragile - a children’s workforce on its knees, the potential for further cuts to services that keep children safe, and rising deprivation.
The government’s first priority must be to assure the many victims that they have been heard, and that despite the current political instability this inquiry will lead to real change.
Find out more about NCB’s work to safeguard children: https://www.ncb.org.uk/what-we-do/improving-practice/safeguarding-children