Adult victims who were abused in care in childhood are threatening to walk away from an inquiry set up by the Scottish Government.
One of Scotland's leading campaign groups made up of people who suffered abuse in children's homes or residential care accused the minister responsible, Angela Constance, of reneging on a pledge to meet with them and a commitment too remain personally involved in helping them achieve justice.
Scottish Labour accused the education and lifelong learning secretary of jeopardising the future of the independent inquiry into the historic abuse of children in care which she herself set up in December 2014.
Alan Draper, parliamentary liaison officer for In Care Abuse Survivors (Incas) said members were ready to withdraw from the public inquiry after Ms Constance rejected several appeals to meet. The group wants her to honour promises they say she made last year, including commitments to seek solutions to the time bar which makes it impossible to bring civil cases over many historic cases, and address a separate legal block to pursuing civic cases over any child abuse suffered before 1964. They also want clarity about what legal and financial support will be available for abuse survivors.
Mr Draper said: "Angela Constance promised survivors in May 2015, that she would remain personally involved in overseeing the set up of the Inquiry. She undertook to continue to engage with Incas regarding the legislation for the removal of time bar, and the search for an equitable solution to the issue of those survivors of abuse pre-1964. Since then she has totally disengaged with the process."
"Survivors feel that they are being treated with contempt by Angela Constance. Survivors have made repeated requests for a face to face meeting."
The Scottish Government has argued it is not appropriate for the minister to meet with victims while an independent inquiry is ongoing, but Mr Draper said issues such as the time bar and compensation for survivors are not part of the inquiry's remit.
He added: "Survivors note that the Cabinet Secretary does not offer any reason as to why she is “unable” to meet with them. It seems rather strange [and] flies in the face of the stated intention to engage with Incas."
Graeme Pearson MSP, Scottish Labour spokesman for Justice, has written to Incas supporting its complaint.
He said: “The complaint from Incas is one the Cabinet Secretary should take very seriously and resolve by setting a date for a meeting. Everyone agreed there was a need for an inquiry into historic cases of child abuse. If the victims of that abuse feel they are being ignored and walk away that would be very serious indeed.
“If Angela Constance promised to remain personally involved, she should keep that promise. It is time for the Cabinet Secretary to get a grip and get an early date in her diary for a meeting otherwise she will have jeopardised the whole inquiry that she was responsible for setting up.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: "Our officials and Ministers have engaged extensively with survivors and continue to do so, working with them to expand the specialist support available to them, to look at removing the restrictions preventing many from seeking legal address and setting the extensive remit for the statutory public Inquiry.
“Survivors called for an independent public Inquiry, Ministers listened and established it with full powers to compel witnesses to give evidence. It must allowed to carry out its work – as it is independent it would be inappropriate for Ministers to interfere.
“We know there is a willingness among many survivors to continue positive engagement with the Inquiry. The Scottish Government remains committed to removing the three-year limitation period which constrains the rights of survivors of historical child abuse who wish to raise a claim for compensation through the civil courts. We will continue working closely with all survivor representative groups.”
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