Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was set up in the wake of serious and high-profile instances of non-recent child sexual abuse, and because the government had grave concerns that some organisations had failed to protect children from sexual abuse.
Its remit was wide-ranging, and as a statutory inquiry, it had the unique authority to investigate where institutions had let children down in the past. Through its investigations and public hearings, it examined what had gone wrong and why.
The inquiry’s findings and the evidence it gathered informed its recommendations to help better protect children in the future.
The Inquiry had three core elements, one of which was the Truth project:
The Truth Project, which concluded in October 2021, gave more than 6,000 victims and survivors of child sexual abuse an opportunity to share their experiences with the Inquiry and put forward suggestions for change. This listening exercise was set up because the Inquiry recognised that victims and survivors could provide a uniquely-informed contribution to understanding and learning from past mistakes and improving child protection in the future.