Five grooming gang survivors tell PM they will stay on panel only if Jess Phillips remains in post | Jess Phillips
Five survivors invited to the child sexual abuse inquiry panel have written to Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood saying they will only continue working on the inquiry if safeguarding minister Jess Phillips remains in office.
The women contacted the prime minister and home secretary, outlining a set of conditions for their continued participation. They say Phillips “dedicated her life to hearing and amplifying the voices of women and girls who are otherwise unheard.”
One of the group, Samantha Walker-Roberts, who was abused in Oldham from the age of 12, chose to waive her right to anonymity. The other five used pseudonyms and called themselves “Scarlett”, “Caitlin”, “Claire” and “Katie”.
The women say they want the investigation to cover all forms of sexual abuse, including grooming rings, and that “anyone who believes their evidence should be included” should have the chance to participate.
They say they believe Phillips “remains neutral” and want him to “remain in place throughout the process for consistency.”
They say: “He offered support to some of us before this process, helping survivors to access services and help they wouldn’t have had without him. “In the consultation we wanted the scope to be broader than grooming gangs, it was our right to express our views and that was the purpose of the panel.
“When asked directly in the feedback session, Jess was clear that the focus would be on reforming gangs, but the survivors in the group explained that because they did not fit the general stereotype of what this was, they would be ostracized and should focus on CSE. [child sexual exploitation].”
This week, four other members of the panel resigned, saying they felt the government had manipulated them into expanding the scope of the investigation to include other types of abuse and exploitation. They said Wednesday they would return only if Phillips resigns from the government and a prominent lawyer heads the investigation.
Two of the investigators: former police officer Jim Gamble and social worker Annie Hudson withdrew their candidacies. Gamble, the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command, said he stood down because of a “lack of trust” in him among some survivors because of his previous profession.
The five survivors who chose to support Phillips said “leaks” to the media about private discussions conducted by the panel had left some feeling “scared and silenced.” They said there should be further consequences for those who violate privacy.
They added that the panel should be simplified but include “a diverse set of voices to ensure everyone can be heard respectfully” in order to “find a solution that takes into account all views and serves all victims of CSE and their families.” They also want a clear structure when it comes to meeting with a potential president; so that “everyone will have the opportunity to ask questions they think are relevant, in an environment where everyone’s voice is heard and matters.”
They added: “These sessions should be held in person to avoid invasion of confidentiality to protect the voices of other survivors.”
The women said those who “lose” their positions on the panel should not be “re-entered” and that an independent reporting procedure should be established, urging everyone involved to show “respect and compassion”.
They added: “The purpose of agreeing to participate in this panel was to inform the process, to ensure that the voices of survivors are taken into account when decisions are made about the investigation and accountability for past failures, and also to support the process of building a robust investigation where children in the future will be protected by recommendations and conclusions from evidence of failure discovered in the investigation.
“As survivors and campaigners, we live every day with the desperation of wanting things to change, not just for ourselves, but for our families and future generations.
“Failure to respect confidentiality agreements has left many survivors feeling silenced and fearful of speaking out or having a opposing view, of being targeted, having their personal information disclosed, or worse. But we have opposing views to other survivors – there is no right or wrong answer.
“We have all failed in the past, which is why some of us campaigned for this investigation. It would be another disastrous failure for the investigation to continue without involving us. “We will not be included in an investigation that is unfit to serve any victim or survivor who believes they have evidence to bring to the investigation.
“This must be the point where survivors work together for the future, we all deserve justice and accountability, this cannot and should not be anything other than survivors working together with respect and trust. The longer this is delayed, the more children will fall prey to exploitation and this could have been prevented if the process could have continued.”
