Child Sex Abuse In Britain Is Epidemic, UK Inquiry Says

Child sex abuse is epidemic in Britain, affecting millions of victims, with vile and horrific acts hidden away for decades as institutions and politicians prioritised reputations over the welfare of...

Child sexual abuse is rampant in Britain, affecting millions of victims, a public inquiry said Thursday, with heinous and horrific acts hidden for decades as institutions and politicians prioritized reputation over the well-being of young people.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA),

It is a global crisis, where children will be at risk unless urgent action is taken, said one of the largest and most expensive investigations of its kind ever in Britain.

"The nature and scale of the abuses we faced were horrific and deeply disturbing," Alexis Guy, a social welfare expert who led the investigation, told reporters.

"This is not just a historical aberration that occurred decades ago, it is an ever-growing problem of a national epidemic."

The investigation was conducted in July 2014 after a series of shocking discoveries of violations, some of which date back decades,

Most notably, the late BBC television star Jimmy Savile, who was posthumously revealed to be one of Britain's most common sex offenders.

It has published 15 investigations and dozens of other reports, cataloging details of horrific abuses in institutions including the Catholic Church, the Church of England,

and the British political center at Westminster.

She added that politicians, church leaders and local social welfare bodies have actively ignored and withheld the allegations to protect perpetrators and reputations, while also showing police undue respect for those in public life.

The investigation has heard 725 witnesses since the hearings began on February 3.

2017 and processed nearly 2.5 million pages of evidence.

More than 6,000 victims and survivors of abuse also linked their experiences to the investigation's Truth Project.

Jay said the abuse involved children, infants, and young children and was often accompanied by extreme violence and acts of sadism, causing physical pain.

"It is despicable and humiliating, and the consequences often last a lifetime for the victims," ​​she said.

The numbers of those who were exposed and continue to suffer abuse were stark. The inquiry said the 2019 Crime Survey indicated there were 3.1 million victims and survivors of abuse in England and Wales, or about 7.5% of the population aged 18 to 75.

BY
ProBuzzFeed