The current Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has announced that survivors of child sexual abuse will be offered support through a government “redress scheme”.
The announcement follows a recommendation from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) that there should be a redress scheme for victims who have experienced abuse “where there is a clear connection to state or non-state institutions”.
Details about who will be compensated, how the scheme will work or what sort of support will be offered to survivors have yet to be published. Nor have the government provided a timescale for when any scheme will be put in place.
Gary Walker, a specialist child abuse lawyer at Enable Law, said: “In order to be effective and provide meaningful support to survivors of abuse any scheme must have clear eligibility criteria and ensure that the support offered will make a difference to survivors’ lives.”
“I also believe it is important that a timeframe for the implementation of the scheme is given and prioritised. The inquiry started in 2015 and the final report published in October 2022. Throughout this time there are many survivors who have not been able to get access the support they need. This will only continue until the scheme is put in to place.”
