InterAction process launched

Preparations have begun in a process to seek justice for survivors of historic child abuse in Scotland.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission with the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS) have launched a website ahead of an ‘InterAction’ meeting to take place in October.

The InterAction will bring together former residents, representatives of institutions, government and others with responsibility to consider how recommendations made by the Commission in 2010 can be taken forward in practical and meaningful ways. The aim is to develop an Action Plan for justice within a human rights context.

In 2010 the Commission developed a Human Rights Framework for the design and implementation of a comprehensive and progressive process of justice for survivors of historic child abuse. The Human Rights Framework is based on international human rights law, including European and United Nations human rights treaties, research on the views of survivors and others whose rights were affected, and experiences from several different countries.

The Framework is a best practice model and holds great potential in providing justice for abuse survivors. Amongst the central recommendations in the Framework are that the Scottish Government:

• Ensures full and effective participation of survivors and others whose rights are affected in all decisions on next steps.
• Ensures accountability for human rights violations including through investigations capable of determining not only what happened but why and how it can be avoided in the future, as well as prosecutions where appropriate.
• Identifies and addresses barriers faced by survivors in effectively accessing justice.
• Develops as effective as possible a reparations package which includes opportunities for restitution, adequate compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition.
• Considers the development of legislation to facilitate apologies by institutions.

Source: Scottish Human Rights Commission