Covid Inquiry Excludes Bereaved Families, Sparking Controversy
Bereaved families express betrayal as Covid Inquiry denies them core participant status. The decision prevents them from questioning witnesses about the pandemic's impact on children and young people.
The Covid-19 Inquiry has sparked controversy by denying core participant status to a group representing 7,000 bereaved families, preventing them from questioning witnesses about the pandemic's impact on children and young people. This decision has left many families feeling betrayed and silenced.
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, a significant organization advocating for those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, has been excluded from the inquiry's penultimate module. This module aims to examine the effects of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdowns on children and young people.
Nicola Brook, the solicitor representing the group, expressed concern over this exclusion, stating:
"We represent many children who had to live with death during the pandemic, and parents who lost children and feel their dead child's voice is being silenced by the inquiry's exclusion of them. "
The inquiry's decision means that barristers representing these bereaved families will not have the opportunity to interrogate key witnesses, including Gavin Williamson, the former education secretary who was in office when the first coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March 2020.
This exclusion has significant implications, considering that the pandemic affected over 1.5 billion students worldwide due to school closures. The UK implemented its first national lockdown on March 23, 2020, leading to widespread disruptions in education and child welfare.
Matt Fowler, a co-founder of the bereaved families group, highlighted the diverse experiences within their community:
- Children with PTSD who fear ambulances and hospitals
- Adults raising traumatized children while dealing with their own grief
- Professionals reporting concerning impacts of lockdowns on young people
The inquiry's module is set to cover various aspects of the pandemic's impact on children, including:
- Physical and mental health
- Wellbeing and development
- Family lives
- Remote education delivery
- Effects on at-risk children and those in social services, care, or custody
Studies have shown increased rates of anxiety and depression among children during the pandemic, with screen time rising significantly. The mental health impact is expected to have long-term effects, and UNICEF reported that an additional 150 million children were pushed into poverty due to the crisis.
The inquiry has confirmed 25 core participants for this module, including organizations like Save the Children UK and the Child Poverty Action Group. A preliminary hearing was held on September 1, 2024, with a further hearing scheduled for summer 2025. Full hearings are expected to commence at the end of September 2025.
As the inquiry progresses, the exclusion of bereaved families continues to raise questions about the comprehensiveness of the investigation into one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
