Simpson Millar responds to Grooming Gangs Inquiry: “Leadership is welcome – but further delays cannot be tolerated”

Calls for action following years of delay

Kate Hall, Abuse Law expert at Simpson Millar, said: “We are pleased to hear that Baroness Longfield shares our views – that this inquiry owes it to victims, survivors and the wider public to identify the truth, address past failings, and ensure today’s children are protected in a way that others were not.

“It is positive to finally see structure and leadership put in place, but we cannot afford another cycle of delays and disappointment. Survivors have already waited far too long for the Government to act on the findings of IICSA, whose recommendations – including a national redress scheme – were made more than three years ago.”

She added: “Baroness Longfield and her panel bring credibility and experience, but inquiries alone do not protect children or support those already harmed. Survivors need a guarantee that the Government will follow through – not just on the Casey recommendations, but on the wider promises made after IICSA. Until those commitments are met in full, the people we represent will continue to feel let down.”

The need for meaningful support and justice

Simpson Millar, which acts for hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse, says the Government must now move rapidly from “words to action” and deliver a fully funded, accessible national redress scheme. “Survivors deserve certainty,” Kate said. “They deserve to know that this inquiry will not become another missed opportunity, and that meaningful support and justice are finally within reach.”