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IICSA published its final Report in October 2022. This website was last updated in January 2023.

Protecting the privacy of victims and survivors

16 November 2015

The Inquiry has a Restriction Order in place to protect the privacy and confidentiality of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse taking part in the Truth Project process

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse has secured a special legal ruling to protect the privacy and confidentiality of victims and survivors taking part in the Truth Project process.

To help us keep the process confidential, a legal ruling known as a Restriction Order is in place, which has been made to ensure that the Truth Project is, and remains, private and confidential.

Anyone who attends a Truth Project session can still tell people what happened to them and can also tell people their opinion about the Inquiry, or the Truth Project. They can also tell people that they have shared their experience with us and how it made them feel. However they cannot tell anyone, except a professional therapist, counsellor, doctor or other professional with duty of confidentiality, what was actually said in the Truth Project private session itself.

The Order also means that those who attend a session cannot tell anyone the details of any other victims or survivors who have also shared their experience with us. They also cannot disclose the venue where private sessions are being held. This is to ensure that we protect the confidentiality of anyone who chooses to tell us what happened to them.

The Inquiry is also bound by the Order and must keep information confidential. The only exceptions to this would be if the Inquiry needs to pass any information to the police or where otherwise required by law.

The Inquiry must refer any allegations of child sexual abuse to the police. However we will not pass on the contact details of a victim or survivor without their consent, unless it is necessary to protect a child.

View the Inquiry's Restriction Order

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