Victims' Groups 'Unanimous' Woolf Should Quit

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 31 Oktober 2014 | 22.56

Representatives of alleged child abuse victims say they are "unanimous" Fiona Woolf cannot head an inquiry into historical claims.

Campaigners renewed their call for the City lawyer to step down as chair after meeting with officials, and pressed for a full statutory inquiry with powers to seize documents and compel witness to give evidence.

Pressure has been mounting on Mrs Woolf over her social links with former home secretary Lord Brittan, who is likely to be called to give evidence to the inquiry about his handling of child abuse allegations, and his wife.

Lord Brittan has denied failing to act on a dossier of paedophilia allegations he received while in office in the 1980s.

Following discussions with the panel's secretariat, solicitor Alison Millar of the law firm Leigh Day, who represents survivors of child abuse, said: "The unanimous view from the representatives of all the groups present today is that there needs to be a statutory inquiry with full compulsory powers to seize documents and compel witnesses to give evidence."

Video: The Link 'Is More Than Tenuous'

She added: "Representatives of survivors were unanimous that Fiona Woolf is unsuitable to lead this inquiry."

Mrs Woolf faced intensified calls to quit after documents were published showing a letter setting out her contacts with Lord Brittan and his wife was redrafted seven times, with guidance from Home Office officials, before being sent to the Home Secretary Theresa May.

But Downing Street said David Cameron "is absolutely clear that he thinks she can do this job with integrity and impartiality".

Video: 'Most Extraordinary' Situation

However, Pete Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood Pete Saunders said there was a general agreement that the inquiry "would be a dead duck in the water as far as we are concerned if Mrs Woolf remained".

He dismissed calls, including from the Prime Minister, for a speedy resolution.

Mr Saunders said: "There are one or two people who have said 'we've just got to get on with this'. Well no, I don't agree.

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  1. Gallery: The Redrafted Letter At Centre Of Woolf Row

    A letter from Fiona Woolf to the Home Secretary referring to her links to Leon Brittan went through several drafts.

  2. Chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz criticised Mrs Woolf, saying the final version showed a more "detached" relationship with the Brittans than the first one. For example, it stressed there were a number of other people present at dinner parties.

  3. Mr Vaz said said Mrs Woolf's appointment had been "chaotic" and she should decide whether she wishes to remain as chair of the inquiry.

"I think most survivors of abuse have waited a long, long time to get a voice and they are more than happy to wait a little longer to make the whole thing work rather than steam ahead with a paper exercise with the sort of wishy-washy terms of reference that we have at the moment."

Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The inquiry cannot go on like this, lurching problem from problem without any proper leadership from the Home Secretary.

"Theresa May has put Fiona Woolf in an impossible position.

Video: Abuse Inquiry Head 'Not Suitable'

"We had hoped the Home Secretary would be able to sort this out, so that the inquiry could get going this month, but she has failed to do so.

"Sadly it is now impossible to see how Fiona Woolf can carry on in this position."

Earlier, chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz aid Mrs Woolf's appointment had been "chaotic" and she should decide whether she wishes to remain as chair of the inquiry.

Video: 'An Ordinary Citizen'
Video: July: Sex Abuse Inquiry Judge Quits

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