Investigating the abuse of children in care in Scotland

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) has today (Thursday 12 March) renewed its call for anyone with evidence about children in care being groomed for exploitation to get in contact.

SCAI, which is investigating the abuse of children in care in Scotland, says it has already received evidence about children being groomed and exploited, however, it believes there may be others who do not realise that such evidence falls within its remit.

Lady Smith, Chair of the Inquiry, said: ‘Although we have already been provided with evidence about children in care being groomed for exploitation – some of this evidence having been provided by witnesses in our current case study hearings – I believe there may be more.

‘I am aware that some people may be uncertain as to whether we can gather and investigate such evidence. They may think that they cannot now provide their evidence to us, given the announcement of a new public inquiry which is, I understand, going to focus on the grooming of children and young people for exploitation.

‘I want to make it clear that they can provide evidence to us, and encourage them to do so. Evidence about children in care being groomed for exploitation is important to the work of this Inquiry.’

SCAI’s Terms of Reference require it to investigate the nature and extent of abuse of children while in care in Scotland, wherever the abuse took place.

Grooming for exploitation is a form of abuse where an individual or group of individuals attempts to persuade, manipulate, or force a child or young person to engage in sexual or other harmful activity. When groups are involved, they may sometimes be referred to as ‘grooming gangs’.

Children in care can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

In a video appeal, Lady Smith confirmed that where a child was in care at the time, grooming for exploitation falls within the Inquiry’s remit — regardless of where the abuse occurred.

She said: ‘Grooming children and young people for exploitation can involve grooming them for sexual activity or any other harmful activity, including criminal activities.

‘I want to make it clear that – so long as the child was in care – we can investigate the abuse even if the grooming or the exploitation, or both, took place outside the placement. Our Terms of Reference also cover foster care.’

SCAI can investigate allegations of abuse which happened before the end of December 2014. It can also investigate abuse that began before that date and continued after that date.

In addition, it can examine whether systems failed to protect children in care from exploitation at any time — including after December 2014 and up to the present day — in order to assess what changes may still be needed to better protect children in the future.

SCAI would like to hear from anyone who 

• was in care and wishes to share their experience of grooming or exploitation, whether it took place within or outside an institution, foster home, or other placement
• works or has worked with children in care and is aware of grooming or exploitation involving those children
• was not in care but has evidence about the exploitation of children who were in care.

Lady Smith added: ‘We know how difficult it can be to talk about the experiences of children in care — whether because you were a child in care or you want to talk about what happened to other children — and we want you to feel safe when you speak to us.

‘The Inquiry takes a trauma-informed approach to how we gather evidence and we have a Witness Support Team to support anyone who provides evidence to the Inquiry.

‘If you would like to talk about coming forward to provide evidence, or if you have any questions about the Inquiry, you can contact our Witness Support Team. Please get in touch, we want to hear from you.’

Anyone wishing to contact the SCAI’s Witness Support Team can do so:

• by telephone: Freephone 0800 0929 300
• by email: TalkToUs@childabuseinquiry.scot
• by post: PO BOX 24202, Edinburgh, EH3 1JN
• British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us direct through an online sign language interpreter at www.contactscotland-bsl.org 

The Inquiry has published a spotlight newsletter focussing on Phase 9 of our investigations (the provision of residential care in establishments for children and young people with long-term healthcare needs, additional support needs, and disabilities).

Lady Smith, Chair of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), has today, Wednesday 28 January, published her findings relating to the provision of residential care for children at Fettes College in Edinburgh.