The government is bungling the CSE inquiry - and betraying the survivors it promised to hear

Statutory inquiries can have a credibility problem. IICSA took seven years. The Covid inquiry has already cost over £192 million and counting, overtaking Bloody Sunday as the most expensive public inquiry in British history.

Yet despite their shortfalls, statutory inquiries remain the only mechanism with real power to compel witnesses and deliver accountability.

The question isn't cost – it's delivery. When inquiries uncover truth and drive reform, they're worth every penny. That's why I, like many others, had long called for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE).

Only a statutory inquiry could connect the fragmented local reviews scattered across the country and expose the true scale of this problem.

This summer, the government answered that call. Survivors finally have a statutory inquiry. But instead of careful preparation away from the political spotlight, what we've seen so far is chaotic and looks to be failing those survivors.

An inquiry’s foundations should be laid sensitively and carefully – away from the glaring eyes of the media. Instead, we’ve watched this become a bruising episode for the government, with headlines about mistrust and the inquiry weaponised by all sides for political gain. This isn’t what survivors asked for. This isn’t serving their interests.

At the centre of the inquiry are survivors who have been failed at every level. One survivor described it poignantly as being “let down by people in suits.” That mistrust runs deep. Every state system meant to protect them – policing, child services, education, health – fell short. If the government truly wants to rebuild that trust, survivors need to remain firmly at the heart of this inquiry.

They need to be partners in designing this process and not have it imposed upon them. Without the confidence of survivors, the inquiry risks losing both its legitimacy and its purpose.

The debate around CSE has also been clouded by a damaging racial narrative. Fuelled by growing anti-immigration debate, there's been a tendency to frame this issue within a single community or culture.

That is lazy and harmful. Child abuse exists in every community – across all social backgrounds, ethnicities and geographies. When we focus exclusively on one demographic, we are in danger of ignoring wider networks of perpetrators and the institutional failings that allowed these crimes to persist.

This inquiry must look at the full picture without resorting to stereotypes and scapegoating. However, if it finds patterns, it must have the courage to identify them.

Since coming into office last year, we've seen a government that has become increasingly reactive – responding to headlines and political noise. In that way it is strangely reminiscent of the previous administration. This inquiry cannot be another political problem.

It needs steady thoughtful leadership and a clear plan that will allow decisions to be made based on evidence, not pressure. Survivors see confusion where they need to see basic delivery. The government now has a chance to handle this with the seriousness it deserves. It must tune out the noise and focus on delivery.

If the government wants the inquiry to be credible, it needs to let independence be the guiding principle. A respected organisation such as a law firm (one unconnected to the participants in the inquiry) or a safeguarding charity needs to be commissioned to design and oversee the work without political interference. Survivors need to believe that the truth will not be tampered with.

Designing this inquiry, involves significant logistical challenges, not least around the volume of documents. Choosing the right Chair is vital. The Chair defines the inquiry. Whether a judge or a King’s Counsel, the key is independence and trust. Credibility starts with who asks the questions.

We have seen what happens when inquiries lose focus. They can become procedural and forgotten. The government still has time to salvage this one. It can reset by putting survivors first and keeping politics at arm’s length.

This inquiry does not need to be the biggest or the most expensive, it just needs to be the one that finally gets it right on CSE. The government, in achieving that would not only rebuild trust but also deliver the justice survivors have been waiting for. And that would be a legacy worth leaving.

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Henry Bermingham is a public sector partner at law firm Weightmans, with extensive experience in CSE litigation, who advised on the setting up of the local inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Telford.

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