Author Archives: BLM

Another Australian Inquiry – care in crisis?

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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 →

First Findings from the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry

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On 11 October 2018, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) published its first findings.

The findings follow 20 days of evidence heard between November 2017 and January 2018 from 54 witnesses and also take account of a further 21 written submissions. That evidence and the findings are on two residential care establishments run by a religious order between 1917 and 1981.

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Accountability and reparations for victims and survivors of abuse

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The second preliminary took place on 25 September in preparation for the three weeks of public hearings due to start on 26 November 2018.

In the Inquiry’s words: This investigation focuses on the support services and legal remedies available to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. It responds to multiple reports of inadequate support services, obstructive insurance companies and a civil justice system that may not deliver genuine reparation.

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FA Inquiry – an update

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The independent Inquiry commissioned by the Football Association to investigate child sex abuse in football between 1970 and 2005 has this week advised that it will delay its findings.  The inquiry was due to publish its final report towards the end of this year.  Continue reading →

Developments in the political arena in Northern Ireland and implications for Redress and the HIAI recommendations

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The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, made a number of announcements on the 6 September 2018 concerning the political impasse in Northern Ireland.  While the cut to the pay of the MLAs made the headlines it was the discussion about the role of the Civil Service and decision making powers that may be of significantly greater relevance. Continue reading →