Almost two years after the HIAI handed its recommendations to the First and Deputy First Ministers, the Civil Service staff responsible for the implementation of those recommendations have released three pieces of draft legislation for consultation. An extended period of 12 weeks has been set aside for the consultation period to allow parties from around the world and individuals who had been in residential care to respond. Continue reading
Sir John Gillen recommends public are banned from rape trials
The Preliminary report following a consultation exercise by Sir John Gillen has made over 200 recommendations. The headline is that members of the public (except for close family of the complainant and the accused) would be banned from attending serious sexual offences trials. This is the only way to minimise the identification of a complainant. Continue reading
IICSA developments – where next?
New hearing dates published
The Inquiry has published a timetable of preliminary and public hearings up to February 2020. The hearings include hearings on the role of the internet in facilitating child sexual abuse and the first phase of public hearings about sexual abuse in residential schools. Continue reading
Sexual harassment of women and girls in public
It seems that no matter where we turn these days we are faced with reports of abuse, rape, domestic violence, hate crime, exploitation, workplace harassment, human trafficking, and school children in uniform being vilified (street harassment). These reports appear to have attracted more media attention and prominence since the establishment of the #MeToo movement. Continue reading
Scottish Developments
Scottish Government: apology and financial redress scheme
The Scottish Government has accepted the recommendations of the review group whose report was noted in our blog of 7 September. Continue reading
Another Australian Inquiry – care in crisis?
On the 15 September 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the Australian Government would establish a Royal Commission into Australia’s aged care sector following a string of horrific revelations of elderly abuse and neglect that have shattered public faith in the care system.
Recent figures in Australia show that complaints about the sector have risen steeply and authorities have forcibly closed one aged-care service provider a month following a review triggered by a recent nursing home scandal in mid-2017. A further 17 aged care facilities in Australia currently have sanctions imposed. Continue reading
Australia apologises
Yesterday, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison delivered an emotive and unreserved national apology to the survivors, victims and families of institutional child sexual abuse.
Hundreds of people watched Mr Morrison deliver the national apology in the Parliament Chamber in Canberra.
