In Parliament on Wednesday (6th November) Theresa May announced another inquiry, into the allegations of child sex abuse that took place in north Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.  There was an inquiry before, but it was restricted in what it did and whom it listened to.

The alleged abuse centring on children’s homes in north Wales – and specifically the Bryn Estyn home at Wrexham – began to emerge in the 1990s. They were highlighted again last week when victim Steve Messham said the Waterhouse inquiry had uncovered only a fraction of the abuse.

I read in the Times yesterday that Tom Watson had rather bristled Theresa May, urging that the truth is sought out.  No more half-baked inquiries, we’d hope.  I wish I’d heard the exchange.  Tom Watson spoke on behalf of the children that have been interviewed but have not been believed. Tom Watson is to be heralded for the following comment (excuse the screen shot, but I’m learning about technology all the time):

Still, in most cases, children do not disclose to anyone that they have been sexually abused. According to a recent study on behalf of NSPCC, more than one in three children aged 11-17 (34%) who experienced contact sexual abuse by an adult did not tell anyone else about it. (1) 
Perhaps the tide will begin to turn as more people speak out about childhood sexual abuse, more parents ask their children and more people understand the nature of grooming and what a paedophile is (and isn’t).
(1) From: Radford, Lorraine, Corral, Susana, Bradley, Christine, Fisher, Helen, Bassett, Claire, Howat, Nick and Collishaw, Stephan (2011) Child abuse and neglect in the UK today. London: NSPCC.