Why the Michael Trust has awoken from it's slumber and the IICSA Inquiry

As Co-founder of the Michael Trust and since my stroke 2015, over the past five years I have been volunteering only when I can as an adviser and researcher for select members of the UK House of Lords and some of you who are on the mailing list will of course know this already. I have been providing OSINT, HUMINT, CYBINT and also carried out an investigatory report.


This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to have some kind of a focus as there is only so much day time television that you can watch when you are regrettably severely disabled. The main member I help has been very kind and part of the rules in this voluntary role is to be careful not to use your Parliamentary privileges to further your own personal projects. So it was agreed in 2015 that as I would be advising on freedom of religion matters and providing information and other things, that I would not promote the Michael Trust publicly. This does not mean that we stopped it just meant that we did not report publicly what we did. You can see some of what we did on our Current Work page. I was also allowed to get involved in the Charity Commission Investigation into the Jehovah's Witnesses which I did and provided information to the senior investigators on a different perspective as I have over 40 years experience. The Charity Commission had been hearing a lot from the many ex-JW activists.

The MT also in early 2015 provided information to Operation Winter Key which eventually was the reason for setting up the IICSA Inquiry.

Since the IICSA Inquiry decided to extend its interests to include religious organisations and faith based groups in April 2019 it has been very hard for me personally as this is something the MT would normally get involved with. In fact in early 2015 we did just that. But it was difficult to communicate with the Inquiry at that time. Back in the late 1980s - 1990s the MT was investigating the SRA Claims (Satanic Ritual Abuse) that swept the globe as there was a collective belief that children were being abused not just in the United Kingdom but many parts of the world. Many claims were being made in the media including telivision programs and even the UK Parliament began to talk about it from concerned members. You can read more about our early work here..

IICSA Truth Project

Since April 2019 it has been hard not being able to get involved as the MT especially as behind the scenes we have been talking to many of you in a supportive capacity, especially seeing the huge improvements that happened once the Chair of the Inquiry was properly settled and then the Truth Project that although does not provide ongoing help for those who have suffered CSA (Child Sex Abuse) it does give the opportunity to share and help provide a better future for our children. For many that have taken part in the project they have found that just being able to share something in confidence has lifted a huge burden off of them. For many they are aged in the forties and fifties and may have not shared the terrible things that have happened for many years, this project offer's this opportunity. If you want to get involved in the Truth Project then click here..

In late February I was finally given the permission to get involved with the IICSA Inquiry and very happy to do so. Over the last few months there has been concern from some members of NRMs (New Religious Movements) especially Scientologists, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Some small alternative groups have also showed concerns and particularly worried that this is the government trying to in a way start to regulate and interfere with their faiths under the guise of helping to keep the future of children safer. A few have been concerned that this important Inquiry is being used as a opportunity to criticize or attack the JWs (Jehovah's Witnesses) by ex-JW activists.

Sadly it is late in the say as the Inquiry is a long way down the line but we support this Inquiry as a genuine attempt to ensure that children are better protected in religious and faith settings in the future.

Hope to put up more over the coming days when my health allows. (Co-founder MT)