Tomorrow, (Tuesday 12th July), The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in Telford will be published.
The Inquiry, led by chair Tom Crowther QC and Eversheds Sutherland, has been investigating cases of CSE in Telford dating back many years and examining the authorities’ response over that period.
After meeting victims in 2016, Lucy campaigned for an Independent Inquiry to ensure that CSE victims’ voices could be heard. In order to prevent CSE, Lucy wanted there to be better understanding of the underlying causes of this crime and to ensure a change in the culture and attitudes of those in authority towards the victims of this crime.
Lucy has been fighting on behalf of victims to ensure that these crimes are identified when they are reported, and that the victims get justice. Lucy has worked on cases where perpetrators, with long sentences, were being released early, sometimes without the knowledge of the victims. Lucy championed this issue in Parliament with the different Justice Secretaries and Home Secretaries who were in office during this time, the Parole Board, and the Victims’ Commissioner to ensure the issue had a high profile. In addition to securing an inquiry in Telford, Lucy worked cross party to keep the issue in the spotlight. Lucy’s work fed into the Victims Bill and to the ending of automatic early release of sex offenders, which became law in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.
The video above from September 2016 shows Lucy asking then-Prime Minister Theresa May for an Inquiry into this issue.
Lucy Allan MP said:
I hope that the publication of this Inquiry will provide reassurance to victims in Telford and the wider community that their experiences have been properly understood and the causes of this horrific crime properly scrutinised.
It is right that the authorities reflect on the findings and accept the recommendations. For too long there has been a sense that rather than acting as 'critical friends’ and thereby improving public service, local partner bodies would 'stand shoulder to shoulder’ against those who would provide challenge or sought transparency.
This report has been a long time coming, but tomorrow is a good day for victims and a good day for justice. I hope it will mark a step forward in the way sex crimes against young women and girls are treated by those in authority. I look forward to reading the report in full tomorrow and hearing how the authorities respond.
You can read Lucy's full record on this issue here.
