To: Will Quince MP
Support For Survivors of Sexual Abuse/Rape
The law needs to be changed so that all Local Authorities are held 100% responsible for the welfare and safety of all children living in the care system. This must detail that all Local Authorities are responsible for an neglect and abuse, whether emotional, physical or sexual and/or rape.
Historic cases must also be included. To include Foster Care settings, Residential School settings, Adoption Settings and young offenders settings. The Local Authority should be held responsible for all situations that a child and/or young person endures during their time under the care of the local Authority. Including if the Local authority pays another business, Residential setting to care and provide for the mentioned child/young person. This needs to include any businesses that may now have ceased running.
Why is this important?
It's takes decades for the majority of children that have endured abuse, sexual abuse and/or rape to come forward and when they do they will not physically represent the abused child that they were. This can initially cause a problem in the victim being believed and/or coming forward. But it needs to be understood that the abuse endured has a long term negative effort on the child, rewiring their brains and damaging their development. The child most likely grew up in a situation where it was known by others, including adults, that the abuse was happened and no one did anything. This leads to the child growing up to believe it was normal practice. It isn't until they are an adult, starting their own family or joining a family via a partner that they begin to notice the differences.
It is shameful that a Local Authority can say that they are not responsible or liable for what the child endured while under their care. It can not be OK for the local authority to not be held accountable for the abuse. The law needs to show the victims that they support them 100% and understand. The law needs to support the victim to sue the local authority for financial support to fund counselling and therapy. To help the victim to access education again so they can gain back the chances that they lost. The law needs to hold all the local authorities that have children in their care, either in a LA accommodation or not 100% responsible for the physical, emotional and developmental well being for the said child. Even when this means using an outside agency/business that the LA pays.
How it will be delivered
In person to the MP.
