The child abuse inquiry will fail

From the Telegraph:

"Without a dramatic narrowing of focus, the task is impossible to complete, at least in under a decade or two – and that’s supposing memories have not faded, key witnesses have not died and documents have not been thrown away in the natural course of 44 years. But the other reason why the inquiry will fail is more general: because they just do. Any honest inquiry into public inquiries would have to concede that the vast majority disappoint. They may be the last escape for politicians with nowhere else to turn, the reflex demand of pressure groups and victims – but our faith in them is misplaced."

"The failed inquiry falls into three broad categories. The first sort fails to uncover – or indeed conceals – the facts..."

"The second sort of failure is a report that gets to the truth and clearly expresses criticism, but refuses to hold any person or body accountable..."

"The third category is the inquiry that looks like a success at the time, but is essentially a political kneecapping..."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11205648/Whether-Fiona-Woolf-heads-it-or-not-the-child-abuse-inquiry-will-fail.html#disqus_thread