All Episodes

BBC Panorama 11/0/23 - The Dark Side of Ballet Schools | Panorama informs viewers that schools have 'strict guidelines for staff behaviour and safeguarding for children.' | 'Strict guidelines' is an oxymoron. The value of guidelines without law is zero

.@TimesRadio 9.7.23 - Inexplicably, Jay was not asked about IICSA's hobbled big ticket recommendation for #MR which is incapable of delivering improvements present in other jurisdictions. It fails children, parents and staff alike.

22.6.23 bbcr4 #WATO (2) - CofE safeguarding crisis. To respond Arch Bish Council put up @AlisonCoulter1. Montagu asked relentless questions until Alison's script ran out. Then not having subject expertise, a painfully awkward tumbleweed moment occurred

22.6.23 bbcr4 #WATO - CofE safeguarding crisis. @BirkenheadBish gives an interview that should alarm the Archbishops Council. Montagu - "Is the church less accountable..?" Conalty - right now yes it is. CofE seems to favour 'goldilocks' accountability

#r4WomansHour 24.5.23 - Prof Alexis Jay former Chair of IICSA complaining about the Home Office response to the inquiry which of course was sponsored (paid for) by the Home Office.

3.4.23: LBC | James O'Brien speaks to Mandate Now about the Home Secretary's announcement for the introduction of alleged #MR of child sexual abuse. The interview reveals the claim is not quite what it seems

#r4today 9.1.23 - In Dark Corners, South Africa - Alex Renton and Nicky Campbell discuss the fourth episode of the series that will be broadcast tonight. Abusees who have managed to get non-recent abusers to court will recognise so much in the interview.

Home Affairs Committee Oral evidence: Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, 30.11.22. HC 916. Tim Loughton cracks a joke at 26" about the Govt not accepting the IICSA recommendations. His 'joke' does not appear in the transcript of the meeting

Lord Sharpe repeating a statement by the Home Sec (du jour) made earlier in the HoC. The debate that follows starts at 6.56. and contains some interesting input about mandatory reporting. Just two peers seem to recognise IICSA's version of #MR is flawed

24.10.22 - Statement to HoC by Home Secretary - IICSA. These are the full proceedings. It's clear that most MP's think the (unique) model of #MR recommended by IICSA will make a meaningful difference. It won't. It's shockingly poor

#r4today 30.7.22 : Thought for the day : Catherine Pepinster comments on Nicky Campbell publicly disclosing the #CSA he experienced at school; omertà; the catholic church; forgiveness and justice | Culture change cannot be willed, it needs #MR

House of Lords 20.7.22: Baroness Grey-Thompson private members bill to introduce mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse

#bbcr4 7/7/22 #indarkcorners. Mandate Now provided a short contribution to this excellent series. Without *statutory* mandatory reporting of known and suspected child sexual abuse, functioning safeguarding in institutional settings is a hollow capability

Times Radio 8.7.22: Cathy Newman i/v's Nadine Dorries about CofE omertà about the #CSA she experienced an an 8 y/o by a vicar friend of the familyCSA she experienced as an 8

Times Radio - 8.7.22: Cathy Newman i/v's Nadine Dorries who tells of the current CofE omertà about the #CSA she experienced at an 8 y/o at the hands of a vicar who was friend of her family friend

bbcr5live 16/6/22: Claire Heafford of Gymnasts for Change and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson discuss recommendations stemming from the Whyte Review's investigation into abuses of gymnasts.

LBC 10.4.22 - Mandate Now speaks with Shelagh Fogerty about the safeguarding framework which has no legal requirement to report suspected or known child abuse. The discussion was predicated on @SirWiggo disclosing he was groomed by a coach.

27.2.15 BBC3CR - short extract from a Mandate Now i/v with @iainlee about lack of accreditation for safeguarding trainers, or are they pie makers?

LBC 1/2/22 Shelagh Fogarty talks to John O'Brien of IICSA about the CSE report and its recommendations

LBC 21.1.22 - Govt advert encouraging adults to be child abuse aware. Yet the under-reporting of child abuse by all adults including those working in #RegulatedActivities remains ignored. The initiative seems designed to show Govt is doing something.

Sunday Times 5.12.21 - Former pupil of a boarding school provides a grim insight into his time at the setting and the consequences of it for him

Scottish Parliament 30.9.21 - Brian Whittle MSP urgent question to the Deputy First Minister about the 'woeful' delay in setting up the ScottishCAI

#bbcr4Sunday 5/9/21 - former JWs 'Sarah' + John Viney speak about IICSA's #CPIROS report. Absent of statutory legislation a written policy to refer #CSA allegations is an unenforceable expectation. 'Sarah' gets it

TalkRadio 4/9/21 - @TrishaGoddard speaks to Richard Scorer about IICSA's #CPIROS report and is 'shocked' to learn there is no law mandating the reporting of suspected or even known child abuse

BBC1 - One O'Clock News 2/9/21 #CPIROS report: Tom Symonds reports that a 'key decision' for IICSA's final report is Mandatory Reporting

LBC 4.8.21 - John O'Brien, Secretary of IICSA, speaking to James O'Brien about the recommendations made in the #LambethCouncil report.

.@TimesRadio 20/6/21 - Robert Buckland repeats @ukhomeoffice spin that E+W are world leaders in child protection (only 1 in 8 cases of CSA discovered). We also don't have #MR which exists in 82% of developed nations. He was unchallenged by @tnewtondunn

r4Sunday 23/5/21 - Witness A711 to @inquiryCSA calls for #MR. Nazir Afzal the newly appointed chair of Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency agrees and calls on Govt to introduce it ....'because it works'.

r4Sunday 23/5/21 - Nazir Afzal the newly appointed chair of Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA)

Extract from 'Full Disclosure' 21/5/21 - James O'Brien asks the journalist Peter Oborne about his education - 'utter hell, total misery from start to finish.'

Times Radio 20/5/21 - Nazir Afzal interviewed about his new role as Chair of Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA)

#r4today 8/4/21 - Ms Spielman's depressing responses about Ofsted's *thematic* review into #rapeculture in schools. They screamed the need for the intro of #MandatoryReporting as a key component of functioning safeguarding

LBC 29/3/21 - Shelagh Fogarty speaking to Jonathan West about peer to peer abuse that is featuring so heavily in the media

BBC News 17.3.21 - Gary Cliffe Ambassador for the Offside Trust speaking about the @FA Sheldon report into non-recent abuse in football. He calls for the introduction of #MandatoryReporting

Times 10/12/20 - David Aaronovitch talks to A30, an IICSA witness who won a scholarship to Ampleforth. She was sexually abused by the music teacher for three years. Safeguarding policies absent of well-designed MR of known and suspected CSA are unreliable

The detail driven PM announces 'Contract Tasting' / 'Contact Tasting' / 'Contract Tracing' / 'Contact Tracing' Hurrah || £22bn and it still isn't functioning

bbc #fileon4 19/1/21: Women Who Abuse | Passing almost unnoticed was this concise contribution from DfE. When will this alleged new 'strategy' (without #MR law no doubt) arrive? Perhaps close to @inquiryCSA publishing its final report

IICSA 27/11/20 - Richard Scorer #ResidentialSchools hearing closing statement - #MandatoryReporting of suspicion on reasonable grounds becomes a neutral act

Times Radio 29.12.20 - Robin Dyer head of Ampleforth College on the DfE Restriction order. Those he criticises : Ofsted, North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (@nyscp1) + @educationgovuk. Speaking to current parents + pupils assists little

IICSA #LeadershipHearing - Peter Wanless CEO NSPCC. Asked about staff referring a concern says staff *can* report it up the line. Please note it's discretionary. The NGO is against #MR and is therefore ignoring empirical evidence

IICSA #ResidentialSchools Hearing 27.11.20 - Sarah Hannett's closing statement for Ofsted. She again states Ofsted supports #MR. But it doesn't. It has mis-labelled a proposal that's without precedent and which keeps staff as whistle-blowers

IICSA #ResidentialSchools Hearing 27.11.20 - Richard Scorer's closing submission on behalf his core participant clients. Key recommendations: support for abusees, intro of #MR, overhaul of inspection protocols, accreditation of LADOs and their training

IICSA 26.11.20 - Albert Heaney Dep Dir Gen. "All Wal procedures are very clear" except he didn't understand them. He claimed Wal has #MR which "produced no rise in referrals" unlike 80% jurisdictions in RoW which have functioning #MR that all saw a rise

General Synod 25.11.20 - An extract from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's response to the survivors of clergy abuse who spoke before the safeguarding debate.

General Synod 25.11.20 - An extract from survivor contributions preceding the safeguarding debate on IICSA's recommendations to the Anglican Church. Gilo explains what he considers needs to be done

bbc #r4Sunday 22.11.20. Until @ukgovernment introduces well-designed #MandatoryReporting the initiatives discussed by Carol Lawrence of the Catholic Safeguarding Review panel are a continuation of the Church marking its own homework

LBC 22.11.20 - Andrew Pierce talks to Jonathan West a core participant in the IICSA Catholic hearing to discuss the report and the future of Vincent Nichols

IICSA 16.11.20 #ResidentialSchools hearing. Opening by Kim Harrison who on behalf of clients cites the litany of child abuse that occurred at Hillside First School, Clifton College and Headlands. Boarding Concern's recommendations are also aired

talkRADIO 11.11.20 - Richard Scorer discusses @inquiryCSA Catholic Report, the cling on inertia of Vincent Nichols and the need for mandatory reporting

LBC 10.11.20 - Core participant in the #CatholicHearing Jonathan West says the church's safeguarding failure goes all the way to the Holy See.

LBC 10.11.20 - Secretary to @inquiryCSA provides a chilling summary of the Catholic Report into the church's safeguarding failure to James O'Brien

#bbcpm 21.10.20 - former gymnast Michelle Kinneavy speaks for the first time about non-recent abuse at a London club. These and similar settings are petri dishes for child abuse but the safeguarding framework remains substantially unchanged

#r4Today 13.10.20 - Mark Drakeford 1st Minister for Wales makes clear that 'guidance' is of no use to the police. He's right. It's also of no use in safeguarding children but its fooled most 'professionals.' 'Guidance' is unenforceable in law.

#r4Sunday 11.10.20 Andrew Graystone, Jo Kind and Richard Scorer discuss the findings of #IICSA's #AnglicanReport and its recommendations.

#r4Sunday - AB York responds to IICSA report. More 'change the culture' narrative but until proposals are made its PR 'claptrap' to soothe the easily pleased. MN has provided the template with many precedents

Times Radio 6/10/20 - Richard Scorer and Gilo speak to @philwilliams about #AnglicanReport. For both #MandatoryReporting is writ large. EWS lag the majority of jurisdictions on all four continents in not having #MR

#bbcpm 6/10/20 - Gilo discusses @inquiryCSA #AnglicanReport with an experiential appreciation of @churchofengland blanking and gaze aversion. Bishop Jonathan Gibbs responds. Informed contributions

bbcNews 6/10/20 Anglican Hearing Report - Richard Scorer discusses the IICSA report and what needs to be done to deliver the recommendations it's made

#r4Sunday 4.10.20 Bishop Jonathan Gibbs discusses potential recommendations from IICSA and gently points out to the interviewer that #MR is a statutory instrument

#r4today 12/8/20 - Record damages for a non-recent child abusee who attended Highgate Wood School. The behaviour of Haringey Council has been dystopian. It's an important, precedent setting case

11/8/20 - ReligiousOrganisationsandSettings hearing - Paul Gillies (PR for JW's) says JW's have a form of #MR | Oh no you don't | This nonsense claim is now the default with faith institutions

#bbcr4Sunday 9.8.20: A JW survivor states they want the Witnesses to issue a public apology for inadequate (safeguarding) policies.

#bbcrscotland Drivetime 25/6/20: Football analyst Pat Nevin speaks about child abuse at Celtic Boys Club having been through its system. Important interview that casts light on the culture of institutional child abuse in football + similar sports settings

bbcrBristol - Louise Tickle 12/4/13 interviewed about the outcome of the hearing into Chris Hood, the former headmaster of Hillside First School, who failed to refer staff concerns about Nigel Leat to the LA.

#desertislanddiscs 24/5/20 - Charles Hazelwood reveals he was sexually abused throughout his childhood. Surprisingly he was then sent to Christ's Hospital School, itself populated by perpetrators

#r4Sunday 8/3/20 - Safeguarding of all types needs clarity of language. This question exemplifies the shortcoming. When does 'guidance' that 'should' be followed ever become a mandate that must be followed over 42 independent dioceses?

#r4today 26/2/20 - A measured report from Tom Symonds on the work of #IICSA which in recent times has faced a welter of criticism

bbc #r4Sunday 16.2.20 - post synod review of motion #009 on reparations for @churchofengland abusees. An excellent + comprehensive report

Extract from LBC Interview 6/11/14 (note date - nothing has changed) with James O'Brien about the expectation on children to 'disclose' and adults in #RegulatedActivities often failing to report suspected abuse - #GazeAversion

bbcr4 Sunday 14.7.19 - Donna Birrell informs the audience that Bishop Peter Hancock (Lead Bishop for Safeguarding CofE) says the Church already has some form of mandatory reporting.

#CatholicHearing @inquiryCSA 8/11/19 - David Greenwood who represents multiple core participants, recommends mandatory reporting as proposed by Mandate Now, during his closing statement

#r4sunday 3/11/19 - Richard Scorer reviewing week one of #CatholicHearing at IICSA.

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 11/10/19 - Kim Harrison closing for CP's in Purcell School, Chetham's and Special Schools. Absolute clarity and once more a call for #MR. The power of the gatekeeper in specialist music schools is boundless.

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 11/10/19 - Mr O'Donnell's closing for Core Participants of Stanbridge Earls. Neither CP's gave evidence so this is a summary from their statements. #MR is urgently needed for those employed in #RegulatedActivities

#ResidentialSchoolsHearing 11/10/19 - Ms Hannett, Ofsted's closing statement. It supports #MR except it then proposed staff remain whistle-blowers while leadership positions + DSL have #MR. Where is the precedent and evidence for this dangerous idea?

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 2.10.19 - evidence about Chetham's and inspection by Ofsted provided by Helen Humphreys - Specialist advisor for residential care. Inspection needs to be a key contributor to functioning safeguarding in these settings

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 2.10.19 - Part 2 of 2 - Evidence about Chetham's provided by Kate Richards Chief Inspector of the ISI and consultant Elizabeth Coley. Safeguarding inspection cannot be a 'snapshot' as suggested in this session.

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 2.10.19 - evidence about Chetham's provided by Kate Richards Chief Inspector of ISI, the peer review educational inspectorate, and consultant Elizabeth Coley (1 of 2)

#r4today 2.10.19 - Richard Scorer discusses @inquiryCSA's #ResidentialSchoolsHearing into Chetham's and the need for #MandatoryReporting of known and suspected abuse in these settings. The empirical evidence for it's introduction is overwhelming

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 1.10.19. Chetham's. The evidence of A2. Deeply uneasy listening that many who were abused in residential schools will recognise. The career limiting power of music staff is an added dimension in these specialist settings

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 30.9.19 - Richard Scorer representing pupils (and some staff) from Chetham's, Stony Dean + Apple Trees + otrs. Raised failures of governance, inspection + local authority | Safeguarding in #RA's is dysfunctional

IICSA #ResidentialSchoolsHearing 30.9.19 - Excellent opening statement by Kim Harrison representing former pupils of Ashdown House, Sherborne, St Georges and St Williams. The school inspectorates heavily criticised. Harrison also calls for #MR

#r4Sunday 4/8/19: Report into @churchofengland's Kafkaesque 'independent' review into clerical abuse perpetrated on Matthew Ineson. Kate Blackwell QC., asserts it's compromised before it starts. #chilling

#bbcr4Sunday 14.7.19 - A report on mandatory reporting, absent of fact. There's no functioning precedent for 'failure to report' law @churchofengland. Meg Munn as discreetly anti-MR as ever. Few social workers understand institutional safeguarding

#bbcr4Sunday 14.7.19 - Safeguarding lead bishop Peter Hancock tells BBC @churchofengland already has some form of #MR which he did not explain. We asked him to evidence this hologram. It took time to get a response which provided no answer

#bbcr4sunday 14/7/19 - A good @inquirycsa summary until @bathwellsbish relied upon the illiterate 'failure to report' (known abuse) proposal perhaps because its badged by @NSPCC + @childrenscomm who clearly do not understand the absurdity of it

IICSA 12/7/19 #Anglicanhearing @inquiryCSA - closing by Iain O'Donnell representing numerous core participant abusees. Mandatory Reporting features significantly and so does the call by Welby and Sentamu during their evidence for its introduction

.@inquiryCSA 12/7/19 - Ecclesiastical Insurance recalled to answer further questions about withdrawal of pastoral support and mis/use of privileged information. An object lesson in how not to behave. Both the insurer and CofE given a drubbing

IICSA 12/7/19: Ecclesiastical Insurance recalled to #anglicanhearing to answer questions about their previous evidence to @inquiryCSA. An object lesson in how not to behave towards abusees and a public inquiry. CofE + insurer given a drubbing

IICSA 11/7/19 #Anglicanhearing. ABC tells @inquiryCSA he + Archbishop of York want MR for #RegulatedActivities - Fiona Scolding QC then makes an extraordinary comment much to the visible surprise of ABC et al.

IICSA 11/7/19 #Anglicanhearing - Archbishop of Canterbury tells @inquiryCSA that he and the Archbishop of York support the introduction of #MandatoryReporting for all #RegulatedActivities including @churchofengland

IICSA #AnglicanHearing 9/7/19 - Meg Munn Chair Nat Safeguarding Panel CofE sidesteps the MR question and gets close to suggesting just better training alone will address non-reporting of known + suspected #CSA. There's no evidence to support her assertion

Compelling, chilling and worth each of its 44 minutes. Witness 'A4' #Anglicanhearing 1/7/19. On CofE culture change "you can look at a potato and say turn yourself into chips but nothing will happen until you get the bread board and a knife out."

IICSA #Anglicanhearing @inquiryCSA - Richard Scorer opening statement 1/7/19. Represents numerous core participant abusees.

IICSA #Anglicanhearing @inquirycsa - David Greenwood opening statement 1/7/19. Represents MACSAS and a number of other core participant abusees

#bbcr4Sunday 30.6.19 - Bishop Philip North speaks about the @churchofengland safeguarding. A smorgasbord of subjects in short order. Good in parts. Unfortunately the key #MR question went unanswered

11.2.19 Prof Ray Jones @CommonsCLG. 'LA's 'holding work off and getting others to deal with it. The growth in child protection work is not in sexual abuse' | Yet data reveals #CSA is being under reported

22.5.19 Solicitor General's response to Dame Cheryl Gillan's speech asserting a 2003 CSA pre trial abuse of process hearing was misled

22.5.19 - BBC3CR with good explanation of the speech by Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan during her adjournment debate on the matter of R v R.P.Wright pre trial abuse of process hearing

22/5/19 HoC - Westminster Hall debate led by Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan. QC who is now a Judge, and his instructing solicitor, misled a court in R v. R P Wright case (Caldicott School)