Victims of CSE to be compensated through new government scheme
It comes after a report last summer found more than 1,000 children in Telford were sexually exploited over almost three decades.
Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in Telford - and across England - will be compensated through a new government scheme.
The move comes after a seven-year inquiry into institutional failings in England and Wales recommended the creation of a redress scheme for survivors.
The final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), published last October, called for a fixed-term compensation scheme for victims "let down by institutions in the past".
A separate inquiry into child sexual abuse in Telford, published in July 2022, found more than 1,000 children in the town had been exploited for almost three decades.
The investigation uncovered evidence of authorities ignoring the abuse, failing to investigate concerns properly and blaming victims for what was happening to them.
The report by Tom Crowther QC report made 47 recommendations for improvement by agencies involved.
West Mercia Police and Telford and Wrekin Council both apologised for past events.
Braverman: "Landmark commitment"
Suella Braverman told MPs the compensation scheme was a "landmark commitment", but also appeared to acknowledged that change would take time.
"It will mark a step change in our approach to child sexual abuse, we need to and we will get it right, and if that takes time that is time well spent; I do not want to give victims and survivors the false impression that implementing these big commitments will just happen overnight," she told the Commons.
"But what I can promise them is today heralds a new start, it signifies a change in direction and it represents an acknowledgement of what they've been through, of what they've testified and the work of this inquiry."
But opposition MPs urged the Home Secretary not to delay in introducing the necessary reforms, with some key changes set to be introduced following a consultation process.
The Government said that victims, survivors and charities will be consulted on a number of areas of the compensation scheme, including on who it should support and how non-state institutions should be involved.
Ministers also said the Government is moving "quickly" to introduce a mandatory duty on professionals working with children to report concerns about sexual abuse, with a 12-week consultation launched.
Labour led calls for the Government to get on with introducing the changes to help protect children from sexual abuse, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper telling MPs: "Children and teenagers have paid the price of the country's failure to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation.
"This is about the victims and survivors, but it is also about future generations of children whose safety and lives will be at risk if we do not see action."
NSPCC: proposals "need to go further and faster"
Anna Edmundson, head of policy at the NSPC, said that elements of the announcement were "disappointing".
She added: "A staggering 103,000 offences were recorded by police last year and it is disappointing that the needs of children who are subjected to sexual abuse are missing from the pledges the Government makes today.
"Proposals to reform child protection to make sure children are safe on and offline are welcome but need to go further and faster.
"Survivors of abuse deserve redress but it is also vital that child victims of sexual abuse can access therapeutic support when and where they need it.
"It is disappointing that the inquiry's clear recommendation that all child victims of sexual abuse should be guaranteed specialist, accredited therapeutic support is absent from the concrete commitments made by the Government."