Monday 16 June 2025

NAPAC welcomes the final audit by Baroness Casey and the government’s commitment to a new statutory national inquiry to direct local investigations and hold institutions to account for past failures. These are important steps, and we support them.

We also acknowledge the tireless advocacy of survivors who have fought to have their voices heard, particularly in the wake of organised abuse – commonly referred to as ‘grooming gang’ cases. Their courage and persistence have helped drive accountability. They deserve justice.

Tens of thousands of survivors will never feature in media headlines. Most abuse in the UK still happens behind closed doors – in families, schools and across a range of faith-based and institutional settings. These experiences may not be as visible, but they are just as serious and life-altering.

We also echo her clear warning that abuse must never be racialised or politicised. We hear from survivors frequently who feel that their experiences are being used in ways that are not authentic, nor based on what they themselves really need and want – however that might look. 

As NAPAC’s Chief Executive, Gabrielle Shaw, said in January 2025, and as quoted in the Casey report,

“The weaponisation of people’s trauma is reprehensible. Someone’s trauma should not be used to score political points or as clickbait”.

At NAPAC, we have listened to over 46,000 adult survivors. They have taught us that justice is not one-size-fits-all. For some, it means legal redress. For others, it is feeling safe, being believed or having their story acknowledged without judgement. We welcome Baroness Casey’s recognition that justice must reflect this full spectrum, and that victims must be met with timely, compassionate responses – that is what every survivor deserves.