Cameron says ‘no limit’ on child sex abuse inquiry

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has pledged full support to the country’s law enforcement agencies investigating child abuse allegations against high-profile politicians.

Cameron says police must take actions "without fear or uncertainty about how high they can go” on any information they receive. He has also urged people to come forward about crimes committed against children.

"These are terrible crimes and that is why we have set up the Goddard inquiry, which will get to the bottom of a lot of problems in the past. These are still live investigations and if there is intelligence or information then gets it to the police and the police where appropriate should take action," Cameron said.

“I must say that he [Cameron] is probably more concerned about the child protection arguably than his predecessors, Cameron has been very open about the support for the child protection, he’s released a large sum of money for organizations that have been looking after victims and survivors of abuse”, Gabrielle Shaw, CEO at National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) told Press TV.

The premier was speaking after revelation of a cover-up of child sex abuse allegations made against a senior lawmaker in the 1980s. The details show that former MI5 chief, Antony Duff, then urged the government to keep quiet about allegations saying "the risk of political embarrassment to the government is rather greater than the security danger".

The British media have revealed that four key Westminster figures had been named in secret papers that were previously reported missing.

The United Kingdom has witnessed a surge in child molestation and sexual abuse cases, some of which go back to the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and involving churches, media personalities and politicians.

The revelations come weeks after New Zealand judge Lowell Goddard formally opened an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales.

Goddard is the third person named to chair the inquiry and is believed to be impartial with apparently having no connections with any organization. She will be supported by a panel and a legal expert.

“The failure of institution in protecting children is the key reason the inquiry has been established. I think it is important to look at cultural change that we are seeing now in our society. People and institutions are willing to look at who’s been responsible for committing crimes against children,” Shaw said.   

There have been claims of a high-level cover-up of child sex abuse involving public figures, including politicians. And a recent report accused police of failing to properly investigate child abuse with data showing a neglect of about 38% such cases. 

The Child Abuse Inquiry has got under way and no time limit has been set but the inquiry is likely to run for years. Justice Goddard, himself has said that she may complete her job by 2020.

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