Record View says the concerns of victims must be central if this review is to command public support and reassurances have to be provided.
The SNP Government has been too slow to act on the grooming gangs scandal.
While a national inquiry has been announced for south of the Border, no such examination has taken place in Scotland. So the decision to have a review should be given a cautious welcome.
A probe is undoubtedly needed on the extent of gangs and whether the authorities let down victims. But the review that has been announced raises many questions.
Victims wanted a review that was truly independent but it will be carried out by organisations that get funding from the government. The concerns of victims must be central if this review is to command public support and reassurances have to be provided.
One positive is the involvement of expert Professor Alexis Jay. She will advise on the findings of the review and will chair a strategic group on National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation.
Jay wrote the report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and her presence will please victims. The wider point is that it should not have taken so long to get into this position.
We know grooming gangs have preyed on vulnerable girls and there should have been a more robust approach. Ministers have left open the possibility that this review could lead to a full inquiry.
Such a move would be welcome but not if it is the sort of expensive public inquiry that lines the pockets of judges. Victims want answers – and quickly.
Justice denied
While the grooming gang scandal is making headlines there are other cases where victims feel ignored.
At Fornethy House residential care home, “sadistic” teacher Patricia Robertson made life a misery for some of the residents between 1969 and 1984. Those who endured her abuse sought justice for decades and finally thought they had reached their goal when Robertson was convicted.
But on appearing for sentence yesterday, Robertson was given a non-custodial punishment, enraging victims who hoped that she would receive a sanction that matched the severity of the crimes they endured.
It may be true that Robertson, now 77, no longer poses a risk to the public but while protecting people is a key part of the justice system, it is not the only reason our courts exist.
They also need to send out a message to abusers that their crimes will be met with the full force of the law. In this case that has not happened and victims are right to call for the sentence to be reviewed.
