Council leader welcomes Inquiry’s Truth Project coming to Telford
Council leader Shaun Davies has welcomed the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s decision to bring the Truth Project to Telford.
It will allow victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to have their voices and concerns heard.
The Truth Project will be in Telford for a number of weeks in the coming months to hear from victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in the town.
The Council contacted Professor Alexis Jay, Inquiry Chair, on March 12 after press coverage of multiple historic child abuse cases in the area. It has sent the Inquiry, which covers England and Wales, further information and reports and the Inquiry is now considering them.
The Truth Project, which is part of the Inquiry, gives victims and survivors of child sexual abuse the opportunity to share their experience of abuse with a trained facilitator in a confidential setting. They can share as much or as little information as they feel comfortable with and suggest measures that might protect children from sexual abuse in the future.
Cllr Davies said: “I am very grateful to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse for their response.
“I and I am sure everyone at the Council very much welcomes the news that they are bringing the Truth Project to Telford.
“It is vital that victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation here share their experiences with the Inquiry and make recommendations for change.
“Victims and their families have rightly been asking for such an opportunity and the Truth Project, which is part of this expert and independent inquiry, is ideally placed to ensure this happens.
“This is another very important step forward in ensuring that we have as true a picture as possible of what happened in Telford to make any further recommendations of changes to the work of partners in Telford continue to do to tackle and prevent this vile crime.
“We have consistently said that a council-commissioned inquiry would not be the most effective way to do this and an independent expert inquiry with powers is statutory is best placed to do this.”
Telford was one of the first places in the UK to secure convictions for Child Sexual Exploitation, when seven men were jailed in 2012 and 2013 for 49 years following Operation Chalice. Since then many more cases have come to court from across the UK.
IICSA Chair Professor Alexis Jay conducted the 2014 independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
There is more information at www.truthproject.org.uk
