Rex Case SCR - Children allowed unsupervised contact with suspected paedophiles

S. Prichard made this Freedom of Information request to Gloucestershire County Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was partially successful.

Dear Gloucestershire County Council,

I write in this request as part of a team obtaining transparency and scrutiny within the system that continues to fail children.

This request is based on a Serious Case Review (SCR) of Abbey Richards, who waved her rights to anonymity where she was abused by foster careers [Rex Case] to criticise the council involved in her care. (Link below and details of Rex Cases’ court case at the bottom of this page)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ha...

We have been exposing failures of authorities ignoring children and punishing “protective” parents that report [suspected] abuse by means of removing the child(ren) from the protective parent and either place the child in the hands of foster careers or the abusers* (*the people that were reported by the protective parent.)

We have been informed that the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) launched a public enquiry into failures of the Family courts. We are led to believe this enquiry took place due to children being placed at risk of harm and died where authorities failed the children and parents / non-professionals that raised concerns were ignored. We received feedback from parents raising concerns that UK Family Courts are ignoring evidence of child abuse and placing them with abusers. This concern was echoed at a recent protest on 26th October 2019 in London.

This [Rex Case] SCR is not the first instance authorities have placed the children at risk of harm and concerns from others ignored or children not believed; some examples are at the bottom of this request.

For this request please refer to children at the age below consent for sex, being 15 and where data is required please go back one year.

1. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says on your council or any professional working for your council (including foster carers) calling children liars, children not being believed or children not taken seriously or any other concern of similar effect when sexual abuse allegation has been raised.

2. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says for any parent or family member calling children liars, children not being believed or children not taken seriously, intimidating a child not to disclose secrets or any other concern of similar effect when sexual abuse allegation has been raised.

3. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says on your council or any professional working for your council (including foster carers) suppressing evidence or anything to the effect in an attempt to conceal child abuse (perverting the course of justice).

4. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says for any parent or family member suppressing evidence or anything to the effect in an attempt to conceal child abuse (perverting the course of justice).

5. How many children have you currently got living in your borough that are allowed unsupervised access to either foster careers, parents or extended family that have;

a) Allegations of child sexual abuse against them (pertaining to accusations from the child(ren) living in your borough (either reported by the child or other persons);

b) Allegations of historic child sexual abuse against them (pertaining to other children now adults or other children that no longer have access to the perpetrator.)

c) Both a & b; Allegations of child sexual abuse against them (pertaining to accusations from the child(ren) living in your borough (either reported by the child or other persons) and Allegations of historic child sexual abuse against them (pertaining to other children now adults or other children that no longer have access to the perpetrator.)

6. How many parents have children living in your area that have been stopped access to their child(ren) for reporting concerns of abuse and the child(ren) currently live or have unsupervised access to a suspected perpetrator as listed in question 5 a, b and c.

7. What is your council’s policy on obtaining DBS checks on any person that has had child sexual abuse accusations made against them (either current or historic) and your council allowing them to have unsupervised access to child(ren) living in your borough?

8. How many persons have had accusations made against them (either current or historic as listed in question 5 a & b) and allowed unsupervised access to children living in your borough have;

a) Had DBS checks made by your council on them (Standard and Enhanced) and
i) the DBS is clear
ii) The DBS shows history
b) Has not had DBS checks made by your council on them (Standard and Enhanced)

Other cases for information

Paedophile foster carer Rex Case jailed for 21 years at Southampton Crown Court
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9550977...

Blunders left foster mother to torture;
“It emerged that concerns were raised on numerous occasions with Gloucestershire County
Council by various parties who were worried about the care the children were receiving.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Ideal foster parent' was secret paedophile who gave 'sex lessons' to three girls in his care; Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council – “Prosecutor Fiona Swain said one girl, who was abused when 11, complained to Morton's granddaughter but at the time she was not believed.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Paedophile with a long history of abuse able to foster a child after council failures
Kent County Council, “He had previously been jailed for three years in 1982 for abusing a boy Scout.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

How social workers were duped by middle class doctor couple who abused their three adopted children for a decade. Stoke-on-Trent Social Services; “School friends tried to help but weren't taken seriously.” “Social workers waited SIX MONTHS before acting after one of the children complained”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Child rapist fit to practise as Social Worker
Slough Council. "Despite Mr Khan being jailed for 14 years, he remained on the HCPC register as a social worker safe enough to work with children and vulnerable adults."
http://www.sloughtimes.com/ns/ns17/ns174...

Yours faithfully,

S. Prichard

Gloucestershire CC, Gloucestershire County Council

Information request
Our reference: 15291011

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Dear ‎S Pritchard‏
 
Request for Information (Reference: 15291011 )
 
Thank you for your request for information, received on 1 November 2019.
 
Request summary:
1. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says on your
council or any professional working for your council (including foster
carers) calling children liars, children not being believed or children
not taken seriously or any other concern of similar effect when sexual
abuse allegation has been raised.
2. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says for any
parent or family member calling children liars, children not being
believed or children not taken seriously, intimidating a child not to
disclose secrets or any other concern of similar effect when sexual abuse
allegation has been raised.
3. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says on your
council or any professional working for your council (including foster
carers) suppressing evidence or anything to the effect in an attempt to
conceal child abuse (perverting the course of justice).
4. We would like to know what your policy is and what the law says for any
parent or family member suppressing evidence or anything to the effect in
an attempt to conceal child abuse (perverting the course of justice).
5. How many children have you currently got living in your borough that
are allowed unsupervised access to either foster careers, parents or
extended family that have;
a) Allegations of child sexual abuse against them (pertaining to
accusations from the child(ren) living in your borough (either reported by
the child or other persons);
b) Allegations of historic child sexual abuse against them (pertaining to
other children now adults or other children that no longer have access to
the perpetrator.)
c) Both a & b; Allegations of child sexual abuse against them (pertaining
to accusations from the child(ren) living in your borough (either reported
by the child or other persons) and Allegations of historic child sexual
abuse against them (pertaining to other children now adults or other
children that no longer have access to the perpetrator.)
6. How many parents have children living in your area that have been
stopped access to their child(ren) for reporting concerns of abuse and the
child(ren) currently live or have unsupervised access to a suspected
perpetrator as listed in question 5 a, b and c.
7. What is your council's policy on obtaining DBS checks on any person
that has had child sexual abuse accusations made against them (either
current or historic) and your council allowing them to have unsupervised
access to child(ren) living in your borough?
8. How many persons have had accusations made against them (either current
or historic as listed in question 5 a & b) and allowed unsupervised access
to children living in your borough have;
a) Had DBS checks made by your council on them (Standard and Enhanced) and
i) the DBS is clear
ii) The DBS shows history
b) Has not had DBS checks made by your council on them (Standard and
Enhanced)
 
We aim to respond to your request no later than midnight on 29 November
2019 (the statutory timescale of 20 working days, starting on the working
day following receipt of your request). We may need to contact you if the
request needs to be clarified; this is to ensure we provide you with the
information you require.
 
If the information you have requested is held by another public authority,
we will inform you of this so that you can contact them directly.
 
Gloucestershire County Council is committed to the principles of
information disclosure and will, wherever possible, provide all
information requested. However, some information you have requested may
not be provided to you; this will only be information that can be withheld
by law, and, in most cases, the reason will be explained to you when we
send out any information that can be released. We will also inform you as
soon as possible if we do not hold the information you have requested.
 
Our response to your request may be published in our disclosure log, with
your personal details removed. Our new disclosure log can be found on our
website at: [1]www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/foi.  In future, you may find
that the answer to your questions about the Council has already been
published.
 
Yours faithfully
Requests Management Team
IMS

01452 324000

References

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1. http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/foi

Gloucestershire CC, Gloucestershire County Council

1 Attachment

Information request
Our reference: 15291011

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Dear  S Pritchard
 
Thank you for your request for information received on  1 November 2019 .
 
Please find attached our response to your request.
 
Yours faithfully
Stephen Taylor
Information Requests Officer
Information Management Service

01452 324000

 
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