We believe that every child and young person is precious and worthy of protection from abuse and harm. Our mission is to encourage society to stand against oppression and exploitation by informing legislation and raising standards in safeguarding practice. One of the ways we’ve done this over the past few years has been contributing to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
Chaired by Professor Alexis Jay OBE, IICSA was set up because of serious concerns that some organisations had failed and were continuing to fail to protect children from sexual abuse. The statutory inquiry for England and Wales was established in 2015 under the Inquiries Act 2005. Since then, the scope of the research and investigations has been far-reaching, with IICSA having the unique authority to compel witnesses and request any material necessary to investigate where institutions have failed to protect children in their care.
Central to the integrity and heart of the Inquiry was the Truth Project, which gave victims and survivors of abuse the opportunity to share their experiences and suggest ways to effect real change. Their traumatic experiences and bravery in sharing them were an integral part of the Inquiry, illustrating the true extent of child sexual abuse and providing a clearer insight into its long-term impact on victims and survivors.
As Expert Witnesses in the public hearings for both the Anglican Church Investigation and the Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings Investigation, as well as being a Core Participant in the Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings Investigation, Thirtyone:eight helped inform IICSA and provide detailed evidence from our extensive work spanning several decades.
Sharing our learning
This meant we could share our learning and knowledge from working with faith organisations for over 45 years. The Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings Investigation Report found ample evidence of good safeguarding practice among faith groups and acknowledged the impact religious organisations are having in communities. Evidence was supplied from a range of denominations, including the Baptist Union, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church among others. The work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Safeguarding in Faith Settings, for which Thirtyone:eight provided the Secretariat, was also recognised in the report.
While the Christian community in the UK has made significant strides in safeguarding awareness and good practice compared to many groups and settings within other faiths, IICSA reports revealed substantial failings in how organisations and institutions have protected vulnerable people.
More to be done to protect vulnerable people
IICSA explored child protection practices in a variety of settings including Christian Sunday schools, youth groups and camps, following investigations into both the Anglican and Catholic Church, and other non-conformist denominations and networks and charities within the wider Christian community.
In some areas, IICSA found that good safeguarding practice was hard to find. Evidence showed that children have been seriously put at risk by the intentional neglect of some, the naivety of others and the malign intent of the few to exploit and abuse children in religious and faith settings. Children and young people deserve better. There’s simply no place for abuse and complacency shouldn’t hinder the work that’s still to be done.
One of the reasons for the difference in safeguarding practice was a lack of consistent standards and accountability. In too many cases, children and young people have been let down by inadequate arrangements to safeguard their welfare. This underlines the importance of churches lending their perspective and understanding to engage with government to inform safeguarding best practice in these settings.
Confronting truth
Uncovering the truth means being prepared to lean into hard conversations. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and it means being willing to accept where we’ve gone wrong, what we can learn and how we can do better. It means looking into dark places. Yet, this is where churches and other institutions can step up and speak out for justice.
Of all institutions, the Church is called to be a beacon, a light in that darkness. God’s special concern for vulnerable people is all over the Bible (see our Theology of Safeguarding resource). A desire to learn from the past and do better is why we continue to see thousands of churches across the UK take part in the Safeguarding Sunday campaign, raising awareness of the importance of safeguarding in their communities.
Victim and survivor voices
The effects of abuse have been thrown into sharp focus by courageous victims and survivors stepping up to make their voices heard. Over 6,000 people took part in the Truth Project to this end. People like Dany*.
“Dany says that his way of ‘dealing’ with what happened to him has been to ‘blank it out’, but he now realises how much it affected him as a child, and still does as an adult.” (Source: The Truth Project)
Victim and survivor experiences and views will help to inform the Inquiry’s final recommendations, which will be published on Thursday 20 October 2022 within the concluding report. It follows 325 days of public hearings with 725 witnesses, 2,457,543 pages of evidence being processed, and 87 recommendations for change (Source: IICSA)
The landmark Legacy Project, launched on 23 August this year in Westminster, bears lasting witness to the courage and boldness of all victims and survivors with benches and plaques carrying inspiring messages of hope. “The prevailing message is ‘you’re not alone’, ‘you’ll be heard’, ‘your voice matters,’” said one Victims and Survivors Forum member.
Final report and recommendations
Thirtyone:eight awaits the final report and its recommendations on 20 October. We must press on with recommendations that will bring real and lasting change and remain committed to any support we can offer to the implementation of such changes in the months and years ahead so that we can make a transformational impact on the lives of children and young people.
One such change can be seen in new safeguards for children and young people aged 16-18. We welcomed recent changes in relation to the law on ‘Positions of Trust’ following significant campaigning and research undertaken by Thirtyone:eight and other organisations. While the changes may not have gone as far as we might have liked, they are nonetheless important and will hopefully provide young people with greater safeguards into the future.
When the final report is published, we’ll be looking out for strong and clear recommendations in areas including:
- regulated activity
- mandatory reporting
- external and independent registration and scrutiny via a new body
- redress for victims and survivors
- robust whistle-blowing and complaints management mechanisms
- consistent standards-based frameworks and clearer responsibility and accountability of government departments and agencies for safeguarding in relevant settings.
Thirtyone:eight's Joint CEO Justin Humphreys said,
“It’s only by working together that we can hope to embed genuine change and better protect children and young people from abuse. We’ve welcomed IICSA and the Truth Project, which has been at the heart of the Inquiry and has given victims and survivors a platform by which to make their voices heard. We hope that their voices continue to be heard. The Legacy Project is a moving testament to this. Thirtyone:eight will continue to equip, empower and encourage everyone who wants to create safer places for the most vulnerable in our society. We’re here to provide help and support with understanding and implementing necessary changes in safeguarding practice for the good of children and young people.”
* Names and identifying details have been changed. Participants gave permission to share their experiences.
