10 years of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) - the pros, the cons and what should happen next?

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) launched in 2015 to uncover the truth about systemic abuse in care settings between 1930 to 2014.

It was intended to be a landmark moment in public accountability. To help give survivors a voice... 

But this decade-long journey has been anything but smooth. 

The pros of SCAI

Recognition – the Inquiry has provided a platform for hundreds of survivors to tell their stories, often for the first time, and have their experiences acknowledged in a meaningful way.

Accountability - institutions that failed in their duty of care have been held to account in public, often following decades of silence or denial. The Inquiry has also been able to refer evidence to Police Scotland for further investigation in the hope of convicting perpetrators.

Empowerment - a forum to acknowledge the widespread nature of the abuse ensuring that survivors no longer feel isolated and unable to record what happened to them. 

Recommendations – the Inquiry will be providing recommendations for future protection of children

The cons of SCAI

Cost – At the time of writing the Inquiry has a total running cost of £95million. 

Delays - The Inquiry has stretched far beyond its original timeline with no end in sight. This has caused frustration and fatigue among survivors who are still waiting for closure.

Redress payments - while a redress scheme exists in Scotland (independent of SCAI) it has been criticised by survivors for being bureaucratic, emotionally taxing, and in some cases, inadequate in recognising the full extent of harm. Survivors cannot use their Inquiry statement unless they have waived anonymity and their statement is published. Survivors must sign a waiver to receive funds which strips them of legal rights against scheme contributors. It troubles me when I hear survivors asking for advice on their redress payment rather than their range of options including a redress payment. It is such a significant step signing away your legal rights it is worth speaking to a specialist to ensure that you get expert advice before any final decisions are made. 

Limit of emotional support – many survivors felt traumatised after giving evidence and their involvement with the Inquiry ends.  The process can take a toll, so much so that one person felt no option but to take their life – bereaved relatives blamed the suicide on SCAI’s refusal to honour a retrospective anonymity request and as a result there is now an independent review.  

What would be good to see in the future

The Inquiry has indeed been a landmark for Scotland but while its work if focused on what happened in the past it’s important to consider how it’s findings can be used to improve the future. 

When the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry concludes – whenever that will be – officials must ensure all the reported findings inform future practice to safeguard our children. 

Arguably, there is a need for an overseeing body to be set up to ensure all recommendations are acted upon by institutions across Scotland. 

Ongoing mental wellbeing support measures need to be implemented to ensure those who engaged with SCAI – and even those who didn’t – can access specialist psychological care resources without limit of time. 

Safeguarding measures should be set up with improved training for those who work in care settings including mandatory reporting instead of organisations being allowed to handle things internally, and silently, which potentially prevents prosecutions.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry should not be thought of as the end – it should be the regarded as the beginning. The beginning of a Scotland that is committed to holding perpetrators accountable and a Scotland that prioritises justice and safety.