Campaigners have accused the UK government of allowing child sexual abuse to persist through an “inconsistent and arbitrary” approach to implementing recommendations from a seven-year statutory inquiry, reports Baltimore Chronicle via Guardian.
The Maggie Oliver Foundation, established by former Greater Manchester police detective Maggie Oliver, has launched legal action against the Home Office over the government’s failure to adopt the full range of reforms recommended by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), which conducted investigations between 2015 and 2022. At a hearing on Thursday, Mr Justice Kimblin ruled that the claim could proceed, recognizing that the foundation had a “legitimate expectation” that the government would implement the inquiry’s recommendations. The Home Office continues to defend its position.
Christopher Jacobs, representing the foundation, told the court that as of 8 July 2025, only three of the 20 recommendations had been addressed, leaving 17 unimplemented. The central points of the claim concern recording the age, ethnicity, religion, and occupation of perpetrators; ending the use of pain-inducing restraint on children in custody; and ensuring that children in care have greater access to justice. Jacobs emphasized that approximately 500,000 children are sexually abused annually, and the government’s failure to fully implement the recommendations has “effectively allowed the abuse to continue.”
In written submissions, Jacobs further asserted that the delays and obfuscations by successive governments “must have contributed to thousands of otherwise preventable cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of children over the last three and a half years.” He also criticized the lack of a clear timetable for implementing the recommendations, arguing that the government’s inaction represents a matter of national urgency.
Jack Anderson, representing the Home Office, countered that the claim was “not arguable.” He stated that the government is not legally obliged to implement IICSA’s recommendations, which he described as advisory. Anderson noted that the home secretary had fully accepted the four recommendations that relate directly to her department. Regarding a timetable, he argued that policy decisions require careful consultation and that not all measures can have a fixed completion date due to the complexity of public administration.
The IICSA, set up in 2015 to investigate child abuse in England and Wales, concluded that abuse was “endemic” and affected all sectors of society, with actual cases likely far exceeding recorded numbers. Following the high court hearing, Oliver said the action is “about fighting for every child that is failed by a system that doesn’t work,” acknowledging that the chances of winning are slim but emphasizing the importance of holding authorities accountable.
Support is available for victims and concerned parties. In the UK, the NSPCC can be contacted at 0800 1111 for children and 0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child. Napac offers assistance for adult survivors at 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline at 800-422-4453. In Australia, Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) serves children and young adults, while adult survivors may contact the Blue Knot Foundation at 1300 657 380. Additional support resources can be found at Child Helpline International.
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