05/09/2014

Fiona Woolf To Lead Sex Abuse Inquiry

Fiona Woolf is to replace a retired judge to lead an independent inquiry into historical child sexual abuse, Home Secretary Theresa May announced.

The inquiry will consider whether and the extent to which public bodies and other important institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse.

It will also seek to address public concern over failings exposed by successive appalling cases of organised and persistent child sex abuse both historical and more recent.

Fiona Woolf, the current Lord Mayor of London, will be assisted by Graham Wilmer MBE, a child sexual abuse victim and founder of the Lantern Project and Barbara Hearn OBE, the former Deputy CEO of the National Children’s Bureau. Ben Emmerson QC will serve as counsel to the inquiry. Their first tasks are to finalise membership of the panel and agree terms of reference for the inquiry.

(CD/IT)

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