‌Chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett said the pandemic’s impact on children and young people had been “severe”. ‌They missed out on education, social interaction and for the most at-risk they lost protection from abuse, Baroness Hallett said. The first day of the latest module of the inquiry heard the lockdowns which led to school closures had disrupted the “very fabric of childhood”. ‌Youngsters were more exposed to violent pornography online whilst at home or spent most of the day gaming not learning. She said: “The reality is that there were children who suffered grievous harm at the hands of their carers during the pandemic.