This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/31/nottinghamshire-children-in-care-abused-for-decades-report

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Nottinghamshire children in care abused for decades – report Nottinghamshire children in care abused for decades – report
(about 2 hours later)
Sexual abuse of children in council care in Nottinghamshire was widespread for decades and repeated failures to learn from mistakes exposed more young people to harm, a report has concluded. Hundreds of children in council care in Nottinghamshire were exposed to sexual abuse by predatory foster carers and residential care staff for decades due to repeated failures to learn from mistakes, an inquiry has found.
About 350 people alleged they were abused while in residential or foster care in the county from the 1960s onwards, but the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) said the true scale was likely to be higher. In one of the largest inquiries into child sexual abuse to date both Nottingham city council and Nottinghamshire county council were found to have repeatedly exposed vulnerable children to sexual and physical abuse, a report said.
The panel, presenting its report on Wednesday following 15 days of evidence at public hearings in October, said it was the largest number of specific allegations of sexual abuse in a single investigation that the inquiry has considered to date. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found sexualised behaviour by staff was often “tolerated or overlooked”.
Widespread abuse including repeated rapes, sexual assaults and voyeurism took place during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in many of Nottinghamshire county council and Nottingham city council’s homes as well as in foster care, the report concluded. Around 350 people alleged they were abused while in residential or foster care in the county from the 1960s onwards, but the IICSA said the true scale was likely to be higher.
“Harmful sexual behaviour” also occurred between children in both settings, it said. Children suffered abuse, including repeated rapes, sexual assaults and voyeurism, at many council homes as well as in foster care during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
In a damning assessment of the councils’ failures, the report said: “For more than five decades, the councils failed in their statutory duty to protect children in their care from sexual abuse. The inquiry heard that one child who was abused while in foster care was later placed in a children’s home, where they were visited by their abuser.
In another home inspected in the early 1990s “all children resident over a 12-month period were found to have been exposed to harmful sexual behaviour”.
The panel, presenting its report on Wednesday after listening to 15 days of evidence, said it was the largest number of specific allegations of sexual abuse in a single investigation that the inquiry has considered to date.
In a damning assessment of the council’s failures, the report said: “For more than five decades, the councils failed in their statutory duty to protect children in their care from sexual abuse.
“These were children who were being looked after away from their family homes because of adverse childhood experiences and their own pre-existing vulnerabilities.“These were children who were being looked after away from their family homes because of adverse childhood experiences and their own pre-existing vulnerabilities.
“They needed to be nurtured, cared for and protected by adults they could trust. Instead, the councils exposed them to the risk, and reality, of sexual abuse perpetrated primarily by predatory residential staff and foster carers.”“They needed to be nurtured, cared for and protected by adults they could trust. Instead, the councils exposed them to the risk, and reality, of sexual abuse perpetrated primarily by predatory residential staff and foster carers.”
More than 1,000 claims of child sexual abuse in custody, inquiry reveals
Between the late 1970s and 2019, the report said 16 residential staff were convicted of sexual abuse of children in residential care. Ten foster carers were convicted of sexual abuse of their foster children.Between the late 1970s and 2019, the report said 16 residential staff were convicted of sexual abuse of children in residential care. Ten foster carers were convicted of sexual abuse of their foster children.
The panel said it was also aware of 12 convictions relating to the harmful sexual behaviour of children against other children in care.The panel said it was also aware of 12 convictions relating to the harmful sexual behaviour of children against other children in care.
The inquiry heard from male and female former residents of Beechwood Care Home, who described being routinely sexually abused by members of staff and being too afraid to report it. The inquiry heard from former residents of Beechwood Care Home, who described being routinely sexually abused by members of staff and being too afraid to report it.
The report said abuse also took place in a number of other children’s residential units, including Hazelwood, Skegby Hall, Edwinstowe, Sandown Road, Wollaton House, Hillcrest, Risley Hall, Greencroft, Beckhampton Road, Woodnook, Amberdale and Three Roofs. Meanwhile, some foster carers were allowed to carry on looking after vulnerable children even when they were “known perpetrators”, including some who “then went on to abuse children again”.
The panel also quoted a comment by a city council leader last year, “We will apologise when there is something to apologise for,” criticising it as “crass” and having caused “avoidable upset”. The report said there was “too much willingness on the part of council staff to take the side of the foster carers and to disbelieve the child”.
It said the provision and consistency of support and counselling for victims “remains an issue”. County councillors were also criticised. They inquiry found they “did not question the scale of sexual abuse or what action was being taken”, which it said was a “serious failure of scrutiny and governance”.
The report recommends that both councils should “assess the potential risks posed by current and former foster carers directly provided by the council in relation to the sexual abuse of children”. The inquiry also found that Nottinghamshire Constabulary’s initial investigation into allegations was “not adequately resourced” and complaints were not dealt with “sufficient seriousness”.
In a second recommendation, it said the city council and its child protection partners “should commission an independent, external evaluation of their practice concerning harmful sexual behaviour, including responses, prevention, assessment, intervention and workforce development”. Mandy Coupland, co-founder of Nottingham Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Group, told the inquiry the city council had lost the trust of victims and said its apology was “fickle”.
Criticism was also levelled at Nottinghamshire police, which the inquiry panel said had not properly resourced its initial investigation into allegations of non-recent abuse of children in care, nor treated the allegations with “sufficient seriousness”. “There need to be some resignations in Nottingham,” she said.
It said that despite increased confidence in the police investigations after a number of prosecutions, “only now have Nottinghamshire police begun to address weaknesses in its approach to child protection”. One victim who gave evidence to the inquiry said the authority was not acting “from the point of sincerity or empathy, it’s purely reputation management”.
Inquiry chairwoman Prof Alexis Jay said: “For decades, children who were in the care of the Nottinghamshire councils suffered appalling sexual and physical abuse, inflicted by those who should have nurtured and protected them. The IICSA panel said comments by then city council leader Jon Collins – who was quoted as saying in a meeting last year that the authority “will apologise when there is something to apologise for” – were “crass and caused avoidable upset”.
Nottinghamshire county council made a public apology to victims in January last year, with Nottingham city council doing the same a fortnight before the inquiry opened.
Inquiry chairwoman, Prof Alexis Jay, said: “For decades, children who were in the care of the Nottinghamshire councils suffered appalling sexual and physical abuse, inflicted by those who should have nurtured and protected them.
“Those responsible for overseeing the care of children failed to question the extent of sexual abuse or what action was being taken. Despite decades of evidence and many reviews showing what needed to change, neither of the councils learnt from their mistakes, meaning that more children suffered unnecessarily.“Those responsible for overseeing the care of children failed to question the extent of sexual abuse or what action was being taken. Despite decades of evidence and many reviews showing what needed to change, neither of the councils learnt from their mistakes, meaning that more children suffered unnecessarily.
“We hope this report and recommendations can help ensure it never happens again.”“We hope this report and recommendations can help ensure it never happens again.”
More than 1,000 claims of child sexual abuse in custody, inquiry reveals
UK child abuse inquiryUK child abuse inquiry
NottinghamNottingham
Child protectionChild protection
ChildrenChildren
Social careSocial care
Local governmentLocal government
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content