Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government and the Welsh Government improve data collected by children's social care and criminal justice agencies concerning child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation by the introduction of one single core data set covering both England and Wales. In order to facilitate this, these agencies should produce consistent and compatible data about child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation which includes: the characteristics of victims and alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse, including age, sex and ethnicity; factors that make victims more vulnerable to child sexual abuse or exploitation; and the settings and contexts in which child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation occur. Data concerning child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation should be compiled and published on a regular basis. This should be capable of being collated nationally as well as at regional or local levels.

In January 2026, Jess Phillips, Minister, answering for the Home Office, stated that work remained in progress, reporting that the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill was passing through Parliament to introduce a new information sharing duty and consistent child identifier (Jess Phillips, Jan 2026). Previously, HM Government announced in April 2025 that updated survey data on adult experiences of child sexual abuse would be published by December 2025 (Home Office, Apr 2025). In its May 2023 response, it had accepted the recommendation in principle and pledged further improvements to police performance data (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government establishes a Child Protection Authority for England and the Welsh Government establishes a Child Protection Authority for Wales. Each Authority's purpose should be to: improve practice in child protection; provide advice and make recommendations to government in relation to child protection policy and reform to improve child protection; and inspect institutions and settings as it considers necessary and proportionate. The Child Protection Authorities in England and in Wales should also monitor the implementation of the Inquiry's recommendations.

In July 2026, HM Government (Department for Education) confirmed in a consultation response that it is committed to establishing a Child Protection Authority in England (Department for Education, Jul 2026). It had previously stated in an April 2025 progress update that it would create the authority using the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel as a foundation (Home Office, Apr 2025). Earlier, in May 2024, the Thirlwall Inquiry legal team found that the government had planned to achieve the recommendation's aims through existing mechanisms rather than creating a new body (The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team, May 2024).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government and the Welsh Government commission regular programmes of activity to increase public awareness about child sexual abuse and the action to take if child sexual abuse is happening or suspected in England and in Wales. The programmes should: challenge myths and stereotypes about child sexual abuse; make maximum use of different approaches including, but not limited to, public information campaigns, the use of positive role models and creative media, such as television drama; and be supported by continuous evaluation to measure their impact.

Home Office Minister Jess Phillips stated in a January 2026 written answer that targeted programmes were being supported to raise public awareness, including the #LookCloser, Stop It Now!, and ENOUGH campaigns (Jess Phillips, Jan 2026). HM Government had previously reported in an April 2025 progress update that work was in progress to step up national communications activity (Home Office, Apr 2025). In May 2023, it had accepted the recommendation in principle, noting that it would continue exploring effective ways to raise awareness (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government amends the Children Act 1989 so that, in any case where a court is satisfied that there is reasonable cause to believe that a child who is in the care of a local authority is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing significant harm, on an application by or for that child, the court may: prohibit a local authority from taking any act (or proposed act) which it otherwise would be entitled to take in exercising its parental responsibility for the child; or give directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise, in connection with any aspect of the local authority's exercise of parental responsibility for a child.

In January 2026, Josh MacAlister, Minister answering for the Department for Education, stated that the department will publish new national standards and statutory guidance for advocacy for children and young people, following a December 2025 consultation on establishing a Child Protection Authority (Josh MacAlister, Jan 2026). HM Government previously reported in April 2025 that introducing these advocacy standards and revised guidance would not require an amendment to the Children Act 1989 (Home Office, Apr 2025). In May 2023, it had accepted the recommendation in principle, stating that it would address the issues through reforms in its Stable Homes, Built on Love strategy (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends (as originally stated in its Interim Report, dated April 2018) that the UK government introduces arrangements for the registration of staff working in care roles in children's homes, including secure children's homes. Registration should be with an independent body charged with setting and maintaining standards of training, conduct and continuing professional development, and with the power to enforce these through fitness to practise procedures.

In April 2025, HM Government stated that it would improve qualifications, standards, and training while continuing work to "determine whether registration of care staff is the right approach", noting that a registration regime would not succeed without these foundations (Home Office, Apr 2025). In May 2023, it had accepted that registration of staff working in care roles in children's homes was essential and stated that it was looking at how best to implement this (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends (as originally stated in its Sexual Abuse of Children in Custodial Institutions: 2009-2017 Investigation Report, dated February 2019) that the UK government introduces arrangements for the professional registration of staff in roles responsible for the care of children in young offender institutions and secure training centres.

In January 2026, Jake Richards, Minister answering for the Ministry of Justice, stated that a planned decision on a youth custody registration framework had been deferred to allow a wider safeguarding review panel to report, with an official response to this recommendation now expected in autumn 2026 (Jake Richards, Jan 2026). HM Government had previously committed in April 2025 to assess framework options and announce a decision by March 2026, having accepted the recommendation in principle in May 2023 (Home Office response, May 2023; Home Office, Apr 2025).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government enables any person engaging an individual to work or volunteer with children on a frequent basis to check whether or not they have been barred by the Disclosure and Barring Service from working with children. These arrangements should also apply where the role is undertaken on a supervised basis.

In May 2026, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice reported that the Crime and Policing Act 2026 removes the supervision exemption in the definition of regulated activity, enabling organisations to check whether individuals working or volunteering frequently with children on a supervised basis are on the barred list (Home Office and Ministry of Justice, May 2026). Earlier, in May 2024, the Thirlwall Inquiry legal team found that the government had accepted the recommendation subject to further assessment of feasibility and impact (The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team, May 2024).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government takes steps to improve compliance by regulated activity providers with their statutory duty to refer concerns about the suitability of individuals to work with children to the Disclosure and Barring Service, including: all relevant regulators and inspectorates include compliance with the statutory duty to refer to the Disclosure and Barring Service in their assessment of safeguarding procedures during inspections; the National Police Chiefs' Council works with relevant regulators and inspectorates to ensure that there are clear arrangements in place to refer breaches of the duty to refer to the police for criminal investigation; and an information-sharing protocol is put in place between the Disclosure and Barring Service and relevant regulators and inspectorates.

In January 2026, Home Office Minister Jess Phillips stated that the government and the Disclosure and Barring Service were conducting an ongoing programme of work to improve compliance with the duty to refer, delivering workshops to more than 12,000 safeguarding staff and increasing referrals by over 50 percent regionally (Jess Phillips, Jan 2026). Previously, in May 2024, the Thirlwall Inquiry legal team examined the measure and recorded the government's acceptance without assessing it as fully implemented (The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team, May 2024).

The Inquiry recommends (as originally stated in its Children Outside the United Kingdom Phase 2 Investigation Report, dated January 2020) that the UK government introduces legislation permitting the Disclosure and Barring Service to provide enhanced certificates with barred list checks to citizens and residents of England and Wales applying for: work or volunteering with UK-based organisations, where the recruitment decision is taken outside the UK; or work or volunteering with organisations based outside the UK, in each case where the work or volunteering would be a regulated activity if in England and Wales.

In January 2026, Home Office minister Jess Phillips reported that legislation brought into force in December 2025 enabled ACRO Criminal Records Office to include an individual's barred list status on its International Child Protection Certificate for people seeking to work with children overseas (Jess Phillips, Jan 2026). HM Government had previously stated in April 2025 that it would enable those making decisions overseas to access Disclosure and Barring Service barred list data by 2026 (Home Office, Apr 2025). In May 2023, it accepted the recommendation in principle, committing to consider strengthening the disclosure regime in light of the Bailey Review (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government makes it mandatory for all regulated providers of search services and user-to-user services to pre-screen for known child sexual abuse material.

In January 2026, Kanishka Narayan, Minister for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, stated that under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has powers to require regulated services to use accredited technology to detect and remove child sexual abuse content (Kanishka Narayan, Jan 2026). The Minister explained that Ofcom will be able to issue notices once minimum standards and an accreditation scheme are in place, with advice on minimum standards due to be published to the Secretary of State by April 2026 (Kanishka Narayan, Jan 2026). HM Government had previously stated in April 2025 that it was assessing whether additional measures, including pre-screening or device-level interventions, were needed for private channels (Home Office, Apr 2025).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government and Welsh Government introduce legislation which places certain individuals - 'mandated reporters' - under a statutory duty to report child sexual abuse where they: receive a disclosure of child sexual abuse from a child or perpetrator; or witness a child being sexually abused; or observe recognised indicators of child sexual abuse. The following persons should be designated 'mandated reporters': any person working in regulated activity in relation to children (under the Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, as amended); any person working in a position of trust (as defined by the Sexual Offences Act 2003, as amended); and police officers. For the purposes of mandatory reporting, 'child sexual abuse' should be interpreted as any act that would be an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 where the alleged victim is a child under the age of 18. Where the child is aged between 13 and under 16 years old, a report need not be made where the mandated reporter reasonably believes that: the relationship between the parties is consensual and not intimidatory, exploitative or coercive; and the child has not been harmed and is not at risk of being harmed; and there is no material difference in capacity or maturity between the parties engaged in the sexual activity concerned, and there is a difference in age of no more than three years. These exceptions should not, however, apply where the alleged perpetrator is in a position of trust within the meaning of the 2003 Act. Where the child is under the age of 13, a report must always be made. Reports should be made to either local authority children's social care or the police as soon as is practicable. It should be a criminal offence for mandated reporters to fail to report child sexual abuse where they: are in receipt of a disclosure of child sexual abuse from a child or perpetrator; or witness a child being sexually abused.

In May 2026, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice reported that the Crime and Policing Act 2026 established a legal requirement for anyone in regulated activity relating to children in England to report child sexual abuse to the police or local authority, though guidance and work with regulators remain outstanding ahead of implementation (Home Office and Ministry of Justice, May 2026). HM Government had stated in May 2023 that it accepted the need for mandatory reporting in principle and agreed to implement a regime following a public consultation (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends (as originally stated in its Interim Report, dated April 2018) that the UK government commissions a joint inspection of compliance with the Victims' Code in relation to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, to be undertaken by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation.

In January 2026, Ministry of Justice Minister Alex Davies-Jones stated that the government accepted the recommendation and the Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates have confirmed the joint inspection of Victims' Code compliance will take place in 2026-27 (Alex Davies-Jones, Jan 2026). HM Government had previously reported in April 2025 that it asked the inspectorates to prioritise an inspection into the experiences of child sexual abuse victims in their business plan (Home Office, Apr 2025).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government makes the necessary changes to legislation in order to ensure: the removal of the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in respect of their abuse; and the express protection of the right to a fair trial, with the burden falling on defendants to show that a fair trial is not possible. These provisions should apply whether or not the current three-year period has already started to run or has expired, except where claims have been: dismissed by a court; or settled by agreement. They should, however, only apply to claims brought by victims and survivors, not claims brought on behalf of victims and survivors' estates.

In May 2026, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice stated that provisions in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will abolish time limits for victims bringing child sexual abuse claims regarding their own abuse, while placing the onus on defendants to show that a fair trial is not possible (Home Office and Ministry of Justice, May 2026). HM Government had committed in April 2025 to remove the three-year limitation period and reverse the burden of proof, having earlier stated in May 2023 that it would consult on options to reform limitation law (Home Office response, May 2023; Home Office, Apr 2025).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government and the Welsh Government introduce a national guarantee that child victims of sexual abuse will be offered specialist and accredited therapeutic support. There should be sufficient supply of these services so that children in all parts of England and Wales can access support in a timely way. These services should be fully funded. Responsibility for commissioning these services should be given to local authorities. There must be no eligibility criteria for children to access these specialist therapeutic services other than having been a victim of child sexual abuse.

In January 2026, Dr Zubir Ahmed, answering for the Department of Health and Social Care, stated that up to £50 million is being invested to roll out the Child House model across all National Health Service regions in England, following an announcement by Wes Streeting in December 2025 (Wes Streeting, Dec 2025; Dr Zubir Ahmed, Jan 2026). HM Government had stated in April 2025 that it was developing proposals to improve therapeutic support across the health, social care, and justice sectors following the Spending Review (Home Office, Apr 2025). In May 2023, it had accepted the recommendation in principle and pledged to consult on possible systemic changes to therapeutic provision (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government directs the Information Commissioner's Office to introduce a code of practice on retention of and access to records known to relate to child sexual abuse. The retention period for records known to relate to allegations or cases of child sexual abuse should be 75 years with appropriate review periods. The code should set out that institutions should have: retention policies that reflect the importance of such records to victims and survivors, and that they may take decades to seek to access such records; clear and accessible procedures for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to access such records; policies, procedures and training for staff responding to requests to ensure that they recognise the long-term impact of child sexual abuse and engage with the applicant with empathy.

In June 2026, Minister Josh MacAlister, answering for the Department for Education, stated that the government will lay regulations instructing the Information Commissioner's Office to produce a code of practice on the retention of personal data relating to child sexual abuse, with the regulator then preparing the code following consultation with an expert panel (Josh MacAlister, Jun 2026). Home Office Minister Jess Phillips had previously stated in January 2026 that the government was preparing the regulations and intended to lay them "as soon as possible" (Jess Phillips, Jan 2026). HM Government reported in April 2025 that the code cannot mandate organisations to keep records for 75 years, but will provide best practice guidance (Home Office, Apr 2025).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government changes the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to: include other forms of child sexual abuse, including online-facilitated sexual abuse; amend the rule on unspent convictions so that applicants with unspent convictions are not automatically excluded where offences are likely to be linked to the circumstances of their sexual abuse as a child; and increase the time limit for child sexual abuse applications so that applicants have seven years to apply from (a) the date the offence was reported to the police or (b) the age of 18, where the offence was reported whilst the victim was a child. In either circumstance, the claims officer's discretion to extend the time limit remains.

In April 2025, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Alex Davies-Jones MP stated that she had "decided not to take forward the recommendations of the Inquiry on the Scheme", noting that changes restricted to child sexual abuse could undermine the universal system and disadvantage other victims (Alex Davies-Jones MP, Apr 2025; Alex Davies-Jones MP, Apr 2025). HM Government similarly reported in April 2025 that the principle of compensating based on injuries sustained rather than crime type made the Inquiry's recommendations difficult to implement (Home Office, Apr 2025). It had previously stated in May 2023 that it accepted the need to consider changes in principle and planned to consult on scope and time limits (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government establishes a single redress scheme in England and Wales, taking into account devolved responsibilities. The detailed rules of, and funding for, this redress scheme should reflect the following core elements. Eligibility Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation that occurred in England and in Wales should be eligible to apply. Applicants must have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation where there is a clear connection to State or non-State institutions in England and Wales. The scheme should be open to any victim of child sexual abuse that took place prior to its establishment. The scheme should deduct any previous award from any payment under the scheme (or in the case of payments made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, it may order that they be repaid). Applicants who have previously brought civil claims which have been rejected by the court should be excluded from applying to the scheme, save where their cases have been rejected due to limitation. Redress provided The scheme should provide payments to eligible applicants through a two-tier system, based on a fixed flat-rate recognition payment, with the option to apply for a second-tier payment. Process The application process must be accessible and straightforward, and be sensitive to the needs and vulnerabilities of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The process should provide for streamlined checks and verification of applications, but not be adversarial. There should be special provisions to accelerate awards for older or terminally ill applicants. Duration The scheme should run for five years. Funding The scheme should be funded by central and local government, in accordance with devolved funding principles, with voluntary contributions sought from non-State institutions.

The Inquiry recommended establishing a single redress scheme in England and Wales. In January 2026, Alex Davies-Jones, Minister, answering for the Ministry of Justice, stated that HM Government is "not currently taking forward any further steps" on the proposed national financial redress scheme (Alex Davies-Jones, Jan 2026). It had explained in April 2025 that establishing the scheme's scope posed major challenges in the fiscal environment, prioritising investment in therapeutic support and care (Home Office, Apr 2025). In May 2023, it had accepted the need to introduce a redress scheme acknowledging institutional failures, planning engagement to determine the details (Home Office response, May 2023).

The Inquiry recommends (as originally stated in its The Internet Investigation Report, dated March 2020) that the UK government introduces legislation requiring providers of online services and social media platforms to implement more stringent age verification measures.

In January 2026, Kanishka Narayan, Minister answering for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, stated that the Online Safety Act "already meets the Inquiry’s recommendations on age-verification and online safety measures" by requiring regulated services to apply age assurance to protect children from harmful content (Kanishka Narayan, Jan 2026). HM Government previously reported in April 2025 that it had completed a feasibility study on testing age assurance tools and was monitoring whether further intervention was needed to enforce minimum age limits on social media (Home Office, Apr 2025).