How far will people go to protect other people, what secrets will be kept to protect those with power?
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA), estimated to have cost £150 million since being launched in 2014, has just announced its findings. IICSA concluded that while there had been individual cases of wrongdoing, there was no organised VIP paedophile ring and no establishment cover up.
Lord Steel, the former Liberal leader, has quit the party after he was criticised for failing to flag up concerns over the late Cyril Smith, Liberal MP for Rochdale, who was later exposed as a serial paedophile.
IICSA was set up by Theresa May when she was home secretary. She came under pressure following claims, including one from Labour MP Tom Watson, that a VIP paedophile ring existed.
A series of false allegations by fantasists were exposed, including claims from Carl Beech that he was abused by a string of high profile politicians and public figures. Beech, himself a convicted paedophile, was subsequently jailed for eighteen years for perverting the course of justice.
“The report concludes that there are examples of a political culture which values its reputation far higher than the fate of the children involved.”
Truth and lies; the inquiry had also investigated abuse and cover ups in the church and other institutions. After so many revelations in so many countries, going back into the past, but also in the present, it’s no wonder that the public are likely to believe any new allegations.
When I was writing my novel ‘At The Seaside Nobody Hears you Scream’, cover ups by people in power became one of the themes. Who keeps the secrets, who is trying to find out the truth? It seemed credible that the character Griff would believe someone in power knew what had happened to his schoolboy brother, who had disappeared without trace years ago. If MPs and the Metropolitan Police were taking seriously the claims there had been a Westminster paedophile ring and even murders of boys, so would anyone looking for answers.
Before I finished writing the novel it was discovered Carl Beech had been lying. His crime was terrible in itself, ruining the lives of innocent men and damaging the credibility of genuine victims. But back in 2014, when the novel is set, it seemed credible that Beech was telling the truth and it is true that people in power have abused children and others have kept their secrets.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/25/iicsa-inquiry-report-published-westminster-vip-paedophile-ring/
Tobias Channing, in his search for his missing girlfriend Anna, meets Griff and discovers her disappearance could be part of a web of truth and lies.
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 
The crimes are bad enough, but the cover-up makes things even worse.
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Yes indeed Pete and there must be more people covering up than commit the crimes.
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I agree the cover-ups make it even worse…It is sad that abuse against children and often the disadvantaged and weaker children have gone on for centuries and to me seem to show no sign of stopping …Unless institutions like the church stand up and admit and expose all perpetrators it will carry on and on…Sad as it seems I can’t see an end to it…
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Yes Carol – add in the way whistle blowers are treated and we can see how hard it is to eradicate.
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Thats what happens when people get too powerful within an organisation like the church or government
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such coverups have had a significant impact on my thoughts about organized religions…
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Yes Jim, I think it has for many of us.
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good to know I’m not alone.
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The trouble is, the Old Boy network is rife in Parliament, and they’ll all cover up each other’s indiscretions.
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It’s interesting that we have the same things here in many different areas – children vs. special needs children who get murdered (the special needs children are never identified separately so the statistics are not truthful, and what is more, when people do find out (or if they do) who killed or abused them, they go unpunished, or punishment never matches the crimes themselves. The U.S. suffers as many lies and yes, we have the Old Boy network, but we also have the women seeking power network too who will do anything to discredit any man in office. I guess it is a pandemic of its own everywhere. I wonder if the people in Australia who caused those horrific fires will ever get the punishment they deserve. Thank you for the excellent coverage, and your book sounds wonderful. Wishing you much success.
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Thanks so much Anne, indeed the guilty often go uncaught or unpunished, though they do have to live with their own conscience- if they have one.
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I seriously doubt anyone who does such horrific things has any conscience. When I have a few moments to read, I have read two true accounts of two of the most abused children in U.S. history that have been known at all. There are so many that never come to the forefront, and teachers and aides are responsible for that because they are not well trained to recognize signs of abuse. Since I have been one, I know that for a fact, although I am because I study criminal justice even though I am unable to practice it now. I do have my degree in criminal justice since I intended to be a mentor and advocate for juveniles. I did take later training with CASA (Court-appointed Special Advocates) for Foster children. They have it here in almost every state, and although I got appointed, I was unable to drive alone at the time so perhaps when my husband and I move to Arizona things will change.
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