Nigel O’Mara: “Progress had been extremely slow”
A campaigner for Notts survivors of child sex abuse says some were already losing confidence in Dame Lowell Goddard before she resigned.
Dame Goddard quit as chair of the Government’s Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on Thursday.
The inquiry is looking into how several institutions handled historic abuse of children, including Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City Councils.
More than 100 people have claimed they were abused while in the care of both authorities from the 1960s to early 2000s.
A huge police investigation, called Operation Equinox, is ongoing and several criminal court cases are in progress.
Nigel O’Mara, who lives in Hyson Green and is co-ordinator of support group East Midlands Survivors, said: “I was getting slowly more and more despondent – the progress had been extremely slow. Among some people there had slowly been a lack of confidence building in her ability to do the task. It had started to gradually fester.
“Some people felt the decisions weren’t really being made. There didn’t seem to be any urgency.”
The inquiry was announced in July 2014 and faced delays after the first two judges appointed also withdrew amid claims they were too close to some of the institutions being investigated.
It was revealed in November last year the inquiry would also focus on Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and consider the extent both councils failed in their duty of care.
And Nottinghamshire survivors have only recently begun to be invited to attend hearings where they recount their experiences to officials face-to-face.
Dame Goddard is the third chair to resign from her position
However, Mr O’Mara said he and other survivors’ representatives had already received assurance the inquiry’s work would continue at a pre-planned meeting on Friday.
He said: “At the end of the day the inquiry does not depend on its head – we were reassured the business does not stop and the substance of the inquiry does not change.”
Other campaigners said they believed Dame Goddard had made progress and were ‘disappointed’ to see her quit.
David Hollas, from the Nottinghamshire Child Sexual Abuse Inquiry Action Group, said: “What she’s left behind is a strong position with clear lines of inquiry.
“We continue to have confidence in the inquiry and its aims – although we still think the time lines are a bit long and we are concerned that we have begun to see some people calling for the inquiry to be re-shaped.
“Our message to people has been hold your nerve, they will find another leader – and I don’t think it necessarily needs to be a judge.”
Many claims involve former Notts care homes including Beechwood, Mapperley
An inquiry spokesman said: “The Home Secretary has confirmed in a statement that the inquiry’s work remains an absolute priority for the Government, and that it should continue without delay.
“Investigations, research activity and Truth Project private sessions will continue as planned, and victims and survivors are encouraged to continue coming forward.”
Dame Goddard released a full statement after her resignation saying: “The conduct of any public inquiry is not an easy task, let alone one of the magnitude of this. Compounding the many difficulties was its legacy of failure which has been very hard to shake off and with hindsight it would have been better to have started completely afresh.
“While it has been a struggle in many respects, I am confident there have been achievements and some very real gains for victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in getting their voices heard.”
