Child abuse inquiry launched in Scotland

Police Scotland has welcomed the creation of a statutory public inquiry into the historical sexual abuse of children in the country and said it expects reports of abuse to rise.

The Scottish Executive appointed Susan O’Brien QC to chair the inquiry and said its scope will include allegations of abuse in foster care, long-term hospital care and boarding schools.

Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “These inquiries are often complex and challenging, which is why we have highly trained, specialist officers supporting local policing teams across the length and breadth of Scotland to robustly investigate all complaints and bring those responsible to justice.”

He added that reports of child abuse will continue to rise as victims’ confidence to report abuse grows.

Scotland’s Education Secretary Angela Constance said the government also intends to lift the three-year time bar on civil actions, including compensation claims for damages in cases of historical abuse that took place after 1964 – the cut-off under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1984.

A consultation is being launched to examine how this can best be done.

She said: “Reaching a decision on the exact scope of the inquiry has been challenging, given the wide range of views, even among survivors. The remit cannot be so wide that survivors lose hope of the inquiry ever reaching clear, specific conclusions. I am mindful of the urgency of this last issue, given the age and health of some of the leading campaigners.”

She added that a support fund of £13.5 million will be set up and allocated over the next five years to develop dedicated in care support services for survivors of abuse who were placed in care by the state.

An additional £1 million will also enhance the support available to all who were abused as children, regardless of the setting, through the Survivor Scotland Development Fund.