What Children Need

The thing about the Spanish Inquisition is that it did not just inquire it acted. Its actions may have been bloody and merciless but nobody subjected to its inquiries could be in any doubt that its findings would follow immediately with swift and decisive action.

Not many would say the same about English Inquiries. They are slow, they are expensive and often the result is a profusion of very well intentioned words but precious little action. Over 2 years ago Professor Jay concluded a 7 year inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales. She made 20 recommendations and, as the BBC helpfully summarises, not one of them has been implemented: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mvmy3dwe1o.

Anyone who suggests that any child will be better protected by the commencement of a further inquiry before those recommendations are acted upon either does not know what they are talking about or is speaking in absolute bad faith. All the riches in the world will not permit that binary analysis to be refuted. And it may be that when you're trying to send rockets to Mars you don't have much time to read into what has already been inquired into and what already recommended.

On the other hand, if you're an elected UK politician who served in the government that received the recommendations of that Leviathan of an Inquiry you might want to explain how you can have the gall to put about the canard that what the most vulnerable children in our society really need is more talking and more words.

The way that you protect children is keep them from the clutches of evil men. If they fall into those clutches you extricate them, prosecute the evil men and send them to prison. It's extremely easily said; it's much less easily done. Despite what some might believe, and a malicious few would have many believe, no race, colour or creed has a monopoly on the supply of evil men. Unfortunately, men who are intent on sexual harm to children can and do come from anywhere and everywhere.

The way that you don't protect children is run social services into the ground, police forces into the ground, the CPS into the ground, the courts into the ground and prisons into the ground. And yet for years that is exactly what has happened. Rape gangs have operated with impunity because insufficient money has been spent on identifying them, breaking them and taking them before the courts. 

The power of the state to act in the defence of the most vulnerable children in our society has never, at least in my lifetime, been as diminished as it is now. If it wasn't so obvious why it would be worth inquiring into that. No child was ever protected by a report they are protected by adults able, equipped and funded to do their jobs. Elon Musk knows where his mouth his, if he cares anything for children he can put his money there too.