A report published by the BBC and Buzzfeed also revealed a number of sexual abuse allegations taking place within the charity. One former member of staff alleged that a number of sexual assaults took place at the Urban Academy (a Kids Company project), including one where a client in his 20s sexually exploited teenage girls, ‘forcing them to commit sexual acts on him… there’d be repercussions if they didn’t.’ While their keyworker was informed about this, it was not brought to police attention. A Mail on Sunday report also alleged that a teenage girl was assaulted by a staff member on Kids Company premises, but no action was taken, nor were the police or social services informed. One former worker described the charity’s internal safeguarding team as ‘almost a joke’.
Following the closure, Batmanghelidjh defended Kids Company’s work, saying it had taken on work that should have been done by statutory services. She said: ‘They say that social services are going to be able to take care of them. It has no capacity... What are you going to do when a ten-yearold turns up asking for help, saying they’ve been raped. Are you going to say, “Sorry, I don’t have enough money, go away”?’
Prime Minister David Cameron repeatedly backed Kids Company, after striking up a good relationship with Camila Batmanghelidjh. The charity was also a hit with the Conservative party, as it was hailed a success of the ‘Big Society’, especially in a decade in which successive governments had cut youth services. Some say Cameron ignored the financial reality to prop up a failing charity.
The Cabinet Office said young people’s welfare was its main concern and that it would be working closely with local authorities. In a letter to The Times the NSPCC said: ‘What receives little attention is what this means for the numerous very vulnerable children and indeed young people who turned to Kids Company for help and support often when they felt they had nowhere else to go.’
UK Youth, a network of regional youth groups, has promised to step in and ensure that no child ‘falls through the net’. Abigail Oatway, senior national programme manager for UK Youth, said: ‘I am confident that [we] will pull together to ensure that the young people who are being affected get the services and support they need.’
Writing for Christian Today, deputy CEO of Youthscape, Martin Saunders, called on the Church to fill in the gap left by Kids Company: ‘ People have wondered where the prophetic voice in this situation might come from. Could it be us? What would it take for us to transform our approach to youth and children’s work so that our priority becomes the most marginalised children in our society? Can we rise to this, even if it means sacrifice? Even if it means life will be a bit less comfortable for the children and young people in our youth groups? As the death of Kids Company creates a vacuum of support for some of the most vulnerable, surely it’s up to the Church to rise up again – as it has throughout modern history – to fill it.’
