Society is still failing in its duty of care to children in detention

The findings of the inquiry into child sexual abuse in custodial institutions make distressing but necessary reading

The report of the inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in custody is yet another cause of frustration that so much of our political and media attention is focused solely on Brexit.

There are so many things wrong with Britain today that are barely affected by whether we are in or out of the European Union. Some of the hardest problems to solve are those that affect marginalised and stigmatised groups – rough sleeping has recently started to be discussed because it has reached levels that cannot be ignored, but so many difficult subjects, such as mental illness and the state of our prisons, are easier to put out of mind.

As we report today, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, has published its findings on children in custodial institutions in England and Wales, which should force anyone with a conscience to pay attention. Over the nine-year period it investigated, ending in 2017, the inquiry found levels of sexual abuse were “shockingly high”.

Although only nine allegations resulted in criminal charges, and only four resulted in conviction, the report says complaints were “rarely investigated properly” and makes clear that the extent of the problem goes much further. Given how difficult it is for journalists to report on what happens in young offender institutions and secure training centres – and The Independent tries harder than many news organisations to report these stories – we can be sure that the truth is far worse than can be conveyed in any official inquiry.

The one important piece of good news in the report is that the numbers of children in detention centres has fallen from 3,000 in 2008 to around 900 now, as a result of reforms of the youth justice system under the Labour government. This means that the total quantity of suffering is reduced, but that the risk of harm to those still detained has probably not changed.

The problems of these kinds of institution are endemic. As the report suggests, the children who are detained are vulnerable and often suffering from mental health problems or learning disabilities, and they are looked after by staff enduring high levels of turnover, poor morale and patchy training.

Of course, more public money is not the answer to everything. Tough problems such as these need leadership, unsentimental compassion, good organisation and an openness to new ideas.

There may be a temptation to assume that child sex abuse is something that happened in the 1970s, when the perpetrators were aided by the widespread unwillingness to believe it existed. This report makes it clear that it is still happening today, and that we must resolve to do better to fulfil our duty of care as a society to the children who end up on the wrong side of the criminal justice system.