Overview
- Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced an independent national review into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland.
- The review will be conducted by the Care Inspectorate and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland, with input from Healthcare Improvement Scotland and education watchdogs.
- Its work will run alongside the independent Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and Police Scotland’s ongoing review of past cases to build a clearer picture of scale and response.
- Professor Alexis Jay will chair the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group from January 2026 and advise ministers, having said such a review could be a precursor to a public inquiry.
- The move follows mounting pressure from recent survivor accounts and high-profile convictions, while opposition parties and campaigners question the review’s independence and call for a full judge-led inquiry.