Press Release: High Court Grants Historic Permission for the Maggie Oliver Foundation to Challenge Government on Failure to Act on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
On Thursday 5th March 2026 the High Court granted HISTORIC permission for charity, The Maggie Oliver Foundation, to challenge the Government on its failure to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The judgement is a moment of profound significance for survivors of child sexual abuse and for every child in this country whose safety depends on the Government honouring its commitments to reform.
The Court found that following promises from consecutive governments, over the last almost four years, to learn lessons from IICSA to drive improvement in the policy and legislation protecting children, there is a legitimate expectation for them to deliver the inquiry’s twenty recommendations. The judge specifically highlighted the continued permission of use of pain inducing restraint techniques on children, a practice described as amounting to torture by IICSA, as an area where the Government has not justified its failure to act.
The case will now proceed to a full substantive hearing.
Maggie Oliver (former Detective and founder of the Maggie Oliver Foundation) will say:
“Today is a historic day, not just for the Foundation, but for every survivor who has testified, waited and hoped. And it is for every child now and in the future, and for everyone who believes the state’s primary duty is to protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable. When governments make promises to act and then walk away, children pay the price. Today the court has said, those promises matter.
As the Government launches a new national inquiry into so called “grooming gangs”, they ask survivors to once again relive their most traumatic experiences. We hope this ruling reassures them that it won’t be for nothing, with reports and recommendations left gathering dust on a shelf. Today’s ruling must be the moment the Government understands that survivors’ faith cannot be demanded. It must be earned through action.
We now prepare for a full judicial review. My hope is that our small charity can get on with its work supporting survivors and does not need to spend valuable time and resources on another court appearance. I hope the Government will take today’s judgement as a catalyst to act.”
Background
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was a major, seven-year investigation (2015–2022) in England and Wales launched to examine how public and private institutions failed to protect children from sexual abuse. It resulted in 19 reports and 15 investigations, concluding with a final 2022 report recommending 20 significant reforms to child protection.
The Inquiry cost the taxpayer almost £200 million. More than 6,000 survivors of child abuse bravely shared their experiences, many for the first time. Survivors described not only the abuse and exploitation they suffered, but also the significant barriers they faced when reporting abuse.
In 2022, the inquiry panel, chaired by Alexis Jay, published 20 recommendations aimed at preventing child abuse and exploitation in the UK. Despite repeated public commitments, successive governments have yet to implement many of these recommendations, more than three years later.
In January 2025, following mounting pressure and receipt of a formal letter from Maggie Oliver warning of legal action, the Home Secretary committed to setting out a timeline for implementing of all of IICSA’s recommendations. That commitment has not been honoured.
The hearing in the High Court on 5th March was an important procedural step. The Court considered whether the charity’s case should be allowed to proceed to a full judicial review hearing. Now permission is granted, the Government will be required to defend, in open court, its failure to implement the child protection measures recommended by the IICSA.
