Tony Lloyd comments on Knowl View

Tony Lloyd, MP for Rochdale

The Independent Inquiry that was done was really deserved for the best part of a quarter of a century since Knowl View closed. The victims have had to wait for proper recognition of what they went through, which they’ve now got, which is incredibly important.

I’m confident that the council, children’s services, the police and other public bodies have come a long way since back then, and lessons from Knowl View can never be forgotten. We cannot afford to slip back and safeguarding should be at the top of everybody’s agenda.

Some of the-then young men, are still paying the price decades later.

We have to also look at this nationally to ensure a proper compensation scheme is in place. There are others like Knowl View and other victims. Whilst we cannot alter the past, this would offer some opportunity for recompense.

There is a big message here when the culture said those who were vulnerable were the authors of how they were treated.  We can never allow this attitude to exist again. We recognise vulnerable people deserve protection and are not to blame.