Hansard

I thank all the members of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on survivors of childhood sexual abuse, many of whom are with us in the public gallery, for their tireless effort and support. I thank my colleagues Margaret Mitchell—our vice convener—and Maureen Macmillan for her work with Highlands and Islands survivors groups.

Our cross-party group was established in 2000 following a petition by Kingdom Advice Survivors Project in my constituency. I thank Anne Macdonald for bringing the issue to me as the local MSP and, indeed, for bringing it to the Parliament's attention. Anne has continued to give us all tremendous support as vice-convener of the cross-party group and for that we are greatly indebted to her. I have heard first hand from young children, parents and adult survivors, all of whom have been victims. Their experiences have made me determined to continue to work towards eradication of this heinous crime.

I want to take a few minutes to outline the road that we have travelled together. The cross-party group was established as a forum for an agreed programme of debate on childhood sexual abuse, its long-term effects and its links with mental health problems, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. We were also determined to create greater public awareness and understanding in order to combat the many myths that surround sexual abuse and its impact on our society. The group, which includes a wide range of professionals and—importantly—survivors, has helped us not only to highlight concerns but to determine solutions to this very complex problem.

Following the successful "One Year On" event, the then Minister for Health and Community Care agreed to commission a short-life working group in the Executive to progress the issues that the cross-party group raised. Most important, our group was well represented and was able to contribute to the report that the short-life working group compiled in 2004. Before and after that report's completion, we met the Minister for Health and Community Care, Andy Kerr, to discuss the next steps and the way forward. I thank him for staying to listen to this evening's debate; indeed, I want to take this opportunity to put on record our sincere thanks for his help, support and commitment, which have been beyond belief. We really appreciate what he has done. I also thank Cathy Jamieson, Peter Peacock and Malcolm Chisholm for their support in developing the strategic response to child sexual abuse.

At our meeting with Andy Kerr in June, we discussed common themes that had emerged from the cross-party group's discussions and the short-life working group's report. That has resulted in action that the Executive will undertake to address our agenda. This evening represents a major landmark for us and for all survivors, and we thank everyone involved in helping us to move forward towards achieving our objectives.

We very much welcome the creation of a reference group that will include adult survivors and cross-party group representation, to help us to implement key policy objectives, and we welcome the appointment of a lead professional to assist the strategy's implementation. We believe that such a move is important; we need someone who can help us to drive forward the agenda.

We also welcome the commitment to scope what community health partnerships and managed clinical network structures can offer, and we welcome the important establishment of a £2 million survivors fund to pump-prime activity. The Executive will call for bids for demonstration projects to be met from the survivors fund—I am sure that the minister will give us more details on that this evening. Information about a raft of other measures can be accessed on the cross-party group's website and I am sure that my colleagues will mention some of them during the debate.

The reference group's work will be crucial in ensuring that abuse of children is at the forefront of policy in Scotland. There are no short-term solutions, but such actions will ensure that survivors throughout Scotland will feel that they are being listened to. We must remember that, no matter whether we are talking about past or present crimes, those crimes were and are being committed against innocent children. It is our society's responsibility to protect the children of today and tomorrow as well as to support yesterday's children, who are today's adult survivors.

The cross-party group believes that the partnership that we have developed with survivors, survivor agencies, professionals and the Executive shows true commitment to addressing child sexual abuse. We are all aware of the challenges that we face and that there are no short-term fixes or easy solutions. Abuse of children will not end without real commitment and determination, so we must tackle it strategically, responsibly and with a cool head.

The cross-party group's vice-convener, Anne Macdonald, has likened the way in which our society must address sexual abuse of children to the way it has addressed attitudes to other behaviour that we know to be wrong such as slavery, domestic abuse and apartheid. Our generation has acknowledged that abuse happens, so it must find a solution. It is our duty not to stand back and be fearful, even though the subject is sometimes too frightening to contemplate. We are in the 21st century, in our first Scottish Parliament in 300 years, and we have within our grasp the opportunity to contribute something lasting that will change people's lives for ever.

We can give hope to survivors, while sending a clear message to perpetrators that they can no longer depend on the silence that they have imposed on their victims. We will throw light on the shadows that they cast on the most vulnerable people in our society: our children.