Charities urge government to act on child abuse report

Police chiefs, head teachers, faith groups and charities are among groups urging the government to implement recommendations from the child sex abuse inquiry as the row over grooming gangs continues.

- HOLLY BANCROFT

A coalition, made up of 65 major charities, community leaders and abuse survivors, says it has "significant concerns" about the government's failure to act on proposals made by the chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in 2022.

The inquiry is back in the limelight after the Tory party backed calls from tech billionaire Elon Musk to establish a new national probe into grooming gangs, voted down in parliament on Wednesday night.

In a letter sent to the home secretary and shared with The Independent, the coalition - known as the IICSA Changemakers which includes the National Police Chiefs Council, National Association of Head Teachers, and the Muslim Council of Great Britain - said that, despite renewed interest in tackling widespread sexual abuse, “survivors are once again being spoken about and on behalf of without anyone actually listening to what is needed".

Sheanna Patelmaster, 29, who is a survivor member of the group, said ministers should step back from "partisan fighting", adding: “There is plenty that both parties could and should be doing that they are not."

The letter criticised the slow action on recommendations made by Professor Alexis Jay in her report into child sexual abuse.