Campaigners angry over future inquiry into historic child abuse at care homes in Nottinghamshire

“It would give the survivors their voice. It would give them what we’re looking for which is that cathartic effect. It will begin to establish what the facts are.”

“Because you’re not engaging survivors, it will feed into their narrative that they are continuing to protect their own. And we won’t break through this impasse.”

“We can assure people that an independent review will soon get underway to ensure that any lessons are learnt from what happened in the past at children’s homes in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, how services at those homes were delivered, and how local agencies have responded to the allegations of abuse.

“Both councils are already undertaking preparatory work which will feed into the review, which will be carried out by the independent Local Safeguarding Children Boards through the well-established Serious Case Review process. Work carried out for this review, as well as the criminal and civil claims processes, is underpinned by substantial information from alleged victims and witnesses.

“I think they have a fear of interaction. Fearing that it might get out of control. But I don’t think they’ve got anything to fear from us. We really want the same thing at the end of the day. We want a good open and honest enquiry and some good results to come out of it.”

“At the end of the day, what do survivors want? They want to see people taken to court, found guilty, and go to prison. And we mustn’t engage in a process that threatens that. And there’s a potential of doing that. It’s not impossible. But we need to be careful about it.”

“We will fight relentlessly to the bitter end in the hope that we do get that inquiry. It means so much. Not just to myself, but to the other survivors that have come forward.”

“We are due to begin liaising with the Goddard Inquiry this month and will ensure that victims are engaged as part of this process and encourage them to make their voices heard. “We are of course mindful of the need to ensure that the eventual publication of the review’s findings in no way prejudices the criminal investigation’s integrity, or the prospect of securing criminal convictions.” “We do not shy away from these allegations, and will not rest until we have got to the bottom of what happened in the past.”