Survivors of child sexual abuse are still waiting to see the real change they were promised by the Government after one of the longest public inquiries in history.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) lasted seven years, with more than 6,000 individual stories and testimonies from victims and survivors being heard.

“It’s been six months since the Government responded in detail to the raft of vital recommendations IICSA made, including scrapping the three-year time limit in England and Wales for survivors to pursue a civil legal claim for compensation,” said Kim Harrison, vice president of campaign group, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

“The Government said it would consult on judicial guidance and set out options for reform ‘later this year’. Well, the end of the year is almost here, and nothing more has been published on any progress being made.

“Ministers also said they accepted the need for a national redress scheme. They said the detail, including eligibility and types of redress, would be considered after extensive engagement, including with victims and survivors. But again, nothing has been made public about the scheme having moved forward in any way,” she said.

“The Government must act without delay and begin the process of implementing the recommendations. To drag its heels is to cause more suffering to survivors who have already endured unimaginable horrors.

“Survivors are vulnerable people who deserve to be treated with nothing but compassion. This matter should not be kicked down the road.

“Protecting children from sexual abuse was taken seriously enough for the Government to hold one of the longest public inquiries in history, which heard horrific tales of human suffering.

“Implementing these recommendations would help survivors in their search for justice,” she added.

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Notes to editors:

• Link to Government response to the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: https://bit.ly/3s3JbLP
• Link to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse website (IICSA): https://www.iicsa.org.uk/index.html
• Link to APIL’s original press statement on the Government’s response on the IICSA recommendations: https://www.apil.org.uk/statement/apil-reaction-to-gov-response-to-iicsa-reccs

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers is a not-for-profit organisation, formed by claimant lawyers, which has campaigned for the rights of victims of negligence for more than 30 years. APIL’s vision is of a society without needless injury but, when