A chance to make it illegal to ignore child abuse

5 October 2014: Here’s my story in the Observer on the political push for “mandatory reporting”, which could help whistleblowers who uncover abuse in institutions, and make it a crime to cover it up. This “crucial” measure for tidying up the malfunctioning child protection system could – with some political will – become part of the current Serious Crimes Bill.

But currently government ministers have decided to kick the proposal into the long grass, by postponing any legislation until after the Woolf inquiry into institutional child abuse reports. Fiona Woolf and her colleagues have not yet published terms of reference, let alone begun hearing evidence and opinion. The process is likely to take two years or more.

“It is extraordinary,” says abuse survivor Tom Perry, “that child abuse is a crime, yet reporting it is entirely discretionary.” His campaign group Mandate Now is a good source of information on how mandatory reporting has worked in other countries – providing an answer to those like the NSPCC who say the proposal would swamp social services and the police with complaints.

Of course, the key question that follows that complaint is: does Britain want a child protection system that provides full safeguards for children, vulnerable adults and for the people who work caring for them – or one that admits we haven’t the resources to prevent abuse in institutions?

Full story in the Observer here – it was published alongside this piece by the Lib Dems’ former Home Affairs spokesperson, Baroness Walmsley – Children have a right to belief, not cover-up

• My articles about abuse and cover-up in boarding schools are all here

• Text and video of Baroness Walmsley’s speech yesterday at the Lib Dem conference