Concerns Over Treatment Of Child Abuse Victims

The original whistleblower in the North Wales care home scandal has told Sky News abuse victims are being failed again.

Alison Taylor campaigned for years on behalf of the victims after taking the brave decision to speak out.

In 1986 she was sacked as head of a North Wales care home but her determination to expose abuse led to police investigations, criminal prosecutions and eventually the Waterhouse Inquiry.

Ms Taylor is now dismayed at the media storm surrounding the botched Newsnight broadcast and the implications it has for victims of child abuse.

She told Sky News: "I think it has thrown us right back to the pre-North Wales investigations."

"It was hard enough then - it was a real uphill struggle to get the police to investigate anything."

Ms Taylor also believes that Steve Messham, the man who originally spoke to Newsnight about his alleged abusers and has now acknowledged that he was mistaken, is now being unfairly treated.

She said: "Steve, who genuinely was a victim, is now being perceived in some quarters as a man who has made false allegations.

"There are a lot of people who clearly have a vested interest in playing down the abuse allegations."

She added: "We're left with this enormous suspicion that is going to crop up, there will be even more suspicion than there was in the past when anyone says they were abused in childhood or in care.

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Concerns Over Treatment Of Child Abuse Victims