scholarly journals The ministerial power to set up a public inquiry: issues of transparency and accountability

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-229
Author(s):  
Emma Ireton
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Public ◽  
Independent Panel ◽  
Public Inquiry ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Public Scrutiny ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Independent Inquiry

The Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was left in crisis following intense pressure from survivors and their families, the public and media. Two senior legal figures, Baroness Butler-Sloss and Fiona Woolf, both resigned from the position of chair to the inquiry following concerns over their links with the establishment. Questions were raised over the independence of a process convened by the Home Secretary, to investigate apparent failures on the part of institutions, which would include scrutinising the actions of a former Home Secretary in handling allegations of child sexual abuse in the past. Demands for an inquiry with greater statutory powers, including the power to compel the giving of evidence on oath, ultimately resulted in the Independent Panel being disbanded and a new public inquiry, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, being convened. Against the background of this and other inquiries, this article examines the serious questions raised about the powers of a minister to set up a public inquiry, the lack of open and transparent decision-making processes and the extent to which those ministerial decisions are open to public scrutiny and accountability.

Should parents shiver?

1997 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-44
Author(s):  
Chris Goddard
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Western World ◽  
World Views ◽  
The Public ◽  
Culture Of Fear ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Reports

According to at least one author, our lives are increasingly dominated by a ‘culture of fear’, in which possible adverse outcomes dominate our world views. Throughout the Western world, awareness of child sexual abuse has led to action by members of the public to draw attention to horrific crimes against children. This article reviews some of the media reports and seeks to explain why so many are concerned by those that prey on children.

scholarly journals ‘A Poor Prospect Indeed’: The State’s Disavowal of Child Abuse Victims in Youth Custody, 1960–1990

Societies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarman ◽  
Lanskey
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Duty Of Care ◽  
Discretionary Power ◽  
Criminal Trials ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Penal Institutions ◽  
Original Documentary ◽  
Independent Inquiry

Child abuse in youth custody in England and Wales is receiving an unprecedented degree of official attention. Historic allegations of abuse by staff in custodial institutions which held children are now being heard by the courts and by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), and some criminal trials have resulted in convictions. A persistent question prompted by these investigations is that of why the victims of custodial child abuse were for so long denied recognition as such, or any form of redress. Drawing on original documentary research, this article aims to explain why and how state authorities in England and Wales failed to recognise the victimisation of children held in penal institutions between 1960 and 1990, and argues that this failure constitutes a disavowal of the state’s responsibility. We show that the victims of custodial child abuse were the victims of state crimes by omission, because the state failed to recognise or to uphold a duty of care. We argue further that this was possible because the occupational cultures and custodial practices of penal institutions failed to recognise the structural and agentic vulnerabilities of children. Adult staff were granted enormous discretionary power which entitled them to act (and to define their actions) without effective constraint. These findings, we suggest, have implications for how custodial institutions for children should think about the kinds of abuse which are manifest today.

Hillsborough and the Church of England

Theology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
James Jones
Keyword(s):  
Church Of England ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
The Public ◽  
Independent Panel ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Church ◽  
British Football

In 1989, 96 Liverpool Football Club supporters were killed at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. It was the biggest sporting disaster in British football. The original inquests returned a verdict of ‘accidental death’. For over 20 years the families of the 96 and the survivors campaigned against this verdict. In 2010 the government set up an Independent Panel with myself as its Chair. Its remit after consultation with the families and survivors was to access and analyse all the documents related to the disaster and its aftermath and to write a report to add to public understanding. The Panel’s Report was published in 2012 and led to the quashing of the original verdicts and the setting up of fresh inquests. After two years and the longest inquests in British legal history, the jury gave its determination of ‘unlawful killing’. Here I reflect theologically on the public and pastoral role of the Church of England and its mission to wider society.

The Debate about Delayed Memories of Child Sexual Abuse

1995 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Zerbe Enns ◽  
Cheryl L. McNeilly ◽  
Julie Madison Corkery ◽  
Mary S. Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Ethical Practices ◽  
The Public ◽  
Adequate Knowledge

The debate about delayed memories of child sexual abuse has generated strong emotions and has polarized many psychologists and members of the public. At times, individuals have adopted absolute positions without adequate knowledge of the complex issues involved. This article provides information about the current debate regarding the veracity of delayed memories of child sexual abuse, describes the historical context in which this controversy occurs, discusses the growth and development of psychotherapy for trauma survivors, and reviews the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to abuse memories. The article also outlines recommendations about foundations of knowledge and interventions that will help psychologists engage in competent and ethical practices with clients and generates an initial set of recommendations for future research, training, and social change.

Obesity and hunger present dual challenges in Mexico

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Fortified Milk ◽  
New Public ◽  
President Elect ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

Subject Food security and obesity. Significance President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) announced on August 16 that his government would set up a new public body dedicated to food security. Mexican Food Security (Segalmex) will merge two existing state companies that sell subsidised food in deprived areas and distribute fortified milk to vulnerable groups. AMLO’s announcement was followed by the release on September 11 of a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report showing that while 11.3 million Mexicans were severely food insecure in 2015-17, 24.3 million adults were obese in 2016, up from 20.5 million in 2012. Impacts Boosting local production may be insufficient to reduce the country’s reliance on imported foodstuffs. The OECD estimates that 40% of Mexicans could be obese by 2030, exacerbating pressures on the public health system. Failure to address obesity will have financial costs owing to the impact of associated illnesses such as diabetes on worker productivity.

Exposure to sexual harm is now a ‘normal part’ of life

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 486-487
Author(s):  
Pete Henshaw
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Young People ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Normal Part ◽  
Independent Inquiry

Children and young people are coming to accept that exposure to online sexual harm and receiving and being asked for explicit images is now a part of everyday life. Pete Henshaw takes a look at the latest report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Evaluation Pattern of Irrigation Influence on Eco-Environment Based on Public Participation

2011 ◽  
Vol 396-398 ◽  
pp. 2166-2169
Author(s):  
Zhen Min Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Evaluation Index ◽  
Quantitative Index ◽  
Irrigation Area ◽  
Evaluation Systems ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Inquiry ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Set Up

Firstly, the principle of public participation in evaluation of irrigation influence on eco-environment was analyzed. Then, the formation of quantitative evaluation systems of irrigation influence on eco-environment was studied, which includes the scope and purpose of public participation in evaluation, the evaluation programs, the forms and evaluation methods of the public inquiry, etc. The matrix of irrigation influence on eco-environment, evaluation index, methods and requirement were set up. Finally, selecting Heigangkou Yellow River Irrigation Area as an example, quantitative index systems of public participation in evaluation of irrigation influence on eco-environment were calculated.

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