Review into handling of allegations of child sex abuse during the 1970s-1990s published
An additional review of material looking into how the Home Office, police and prosecutors dealt with claims of organised child abuse between the 1970s-1990s was published yesterday (Tuesday 22 July).
Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO said:
"The issues and crimes against children were given seriously less consideration than would be expected today, the risk to children was not considered at all.
"We were concerned and disappointed that the cabinet office was aware of this separate store of papers and yet informed us that they weren't."
An NSPCC Spokesperson said:
"The report shows that senior government figures were putting fear of political embarrassment above the risks to children. As the original review revealed, there is a clear sense of the misplaced priorities of those operating at highest levels of government, where people simply weren't thinking about crimes against children and the consequences of those crimes in the way that we would expect them too.
"In addition, there is concern that government filing of these papers leaves much to be desired and re-iterates the need for an inquiry that will explore this in depth."
Read the Peter Wanless and Richard Whittam QC: supplementary report
