Nottingham care scandal

[henry d]

It had been in the news around a year ago but we now are nearer to knowing the extent of the horror of what went on for decades. Link here if you are unaware of the story.

It appears that both the council's and the police were negligent in their duties and that led to perpetrators being able to continue their abuse. It's appalling and I imagine that there is more of this story to come, how horrible.

[Scully]

You’re right Henry, it is horrible. We seem to hear of such stories quite regularly on the news, and then some spokesperson stating ( usually after an in-depth enquiry) that lessons have been learned, but that never seems to be the case. 

[bluesj]

But they are quick to investigate made up stories and put the accused though hell and put it on tv as well. 

[Sha Bu Le]

Henry, Scully

You are both right, it seems to me that both 'services' are ineffectual in controlling their behaviour. The best response is as Scully said to trot out that jaded platitude "lessons will/ have been learned" The question is WHEN.

What is wrong with the police? They have a clear responsibility to protect the public but appear not to have done this here. The children's 'services' does not surprise me, they have long been infected with the animals who assault children. How do they get away with it for years?

Any one of us sneeze in public and its tickets gone. 

300 +.... enough is enough, one is too many.

 

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, some of those 100s of now grown up ladies have decided to speak out, have you heard their stories ????, i do not think it was confined to girls. this is different to what we know today as grooming, like that in Oxford, this is young people in the care of Nottingham Council, Social Services ,Foster carers,and the Nottingham police force. some 30 years ago 

[henry d]

No it was boys and girls and those that told their story were believed. It begs the question; is it easier to believe that a child from a damaged background is less likely to be telling the truth than someone from the care/foster services? Which then makes it easier for these people to abuse and get away with it.

[Rewulf]

Beechwood is just one story in a host of others , where , as Henry points out, the kids in care simply werent believed.
A form of 'getting back' at staff via a false accusation was fairly common, and causes genuine accusations to be looked at less seriously, but...

The abuse allegations at Beechwood and other Nottinghamshire 'brickhouses' as we call them, have been common knowledge for as long as I can remember, I personally know several people who passed through Beechwood, who mentioned physical and sexual abuse as an everyday, 'normal' thing.

You 'knew' that if you got sent to the brickhouse, you were going to get nonced.

The fact that the media is portraying this as just coming to light, and council spokespeople apologising for it NOW , is the final insult, the council has done multiple investigations over the years into it, and like I say , its public knowledge it went on, but they just kept on whitewashing it.

Like the Isle of Wight one , it seems to me that to protect certain individuals, they tend to wait till the main perps, get too old or dead , before the 'truth' comes out.

[Yellow Bear]

3 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

Beechwood is just one story in a host of others , where , as Henry points out, the kids in care simply werent believed.
A form of 'getting back' at staff via a false accusation was fairly common, and causes genuine accusations to be looked at less seriously, but...

The abuse allegations at Beechwood and other Nottinghamshire 'brickhouses' as we call them, have been common knowledge for as long as I can remember, I personally know several people who passed through Beechwood, who mentioned physical and sexual abuse as an everyday, 'normal' thing.

You 'knew' that if you got sent to the brickhouse, you were going to get nonced.

The fact that the media is portraying this as just coming to light, and council spokespeople apologising for it NOW , is the final insult, the council has done multiple investigations over the years into it, and like I say , its public knowledge it went on, but they just kept on whitewashing it.

Like the Isle of Wight one , it seems to me that to protect certain individuals, they tend to wait till the main perps, get too old or dead , before the 'truth' comes out.

On the report last night it was also stated that the unions complained that they were putting the word of the children above their members  -  It seems to me all were putting protecting their own backside in front of the well being of the children

[WestonSalop]

Seems to me that there's a view in society that says kids in care are in some way tainted and therefore don't deserve to be listened to, let alone believed. Its almost always the case that its not their fault they are in care - someone somewhere has let them down badly.  I thank my lucky stars I was brought up in a "normal" family and haven't had to endure the torture these poor kids have. Anyone shown to be protecting their own interests above those of kids should face severe sanction and public naming/shaming.

[Rewulf]

5 minutes ago, Yellow Bear said:

On the report last night it was also stated that the unions complained that they were putting the word of the children above their members  -  It seems to me all were putting protecting their own backside in front of the well being of the children

Very much so.

 

1 minute ago, WestonSalop said:

Seems to me that there's a view in society that says kids in care are in some way tainted and therefore don't deserve to be listened to, let alone believed. Its almost always the case that its not their fault they are in care - someone somewhere has let them down badly.  I thank my lucky stars I was brought up in a "normal" family and haven't had to endure the torture these poor kids have. Anyone shown to be protecting their own interests above those of kids should face severe sanction and public naming/shaming.

I dont think that view is as bad as it was, the idea of kids in 'homes' being 'wrong uns' is not as prevalent as it once was, its still somehow tragic that these kids have to grow up into adults, become balanced members of society, and have the courage to then drag it all up and report the people that abused them.
As its only then they have a chance of being believed.

I was resisting the urge to compare this to Rotherham, Rochdale ect, but leaving the element of race behind, its still evident that even in recent times , the attitude of social services to reported child abuse, is woefully inadequate.

[WestonSalop]

1 minute ago, Rewulf said:

Very much so.

 

I dont think that view is as bad as it was, the idea of kids in 'homes' being 'wrong uns' is not as prevalent as it once was, its still somehow tragic that these kids have to grow up into adults, become balanced members of society, and have the courage to then drag it all up and report the people that abused them.
As its only then they have a chance of being believed.

I was resisting the urge to compare this to Rotherham, Rochdale ect, but leaving the element of race behind, its still evident that even in recent times , the attitude of social services to reported child abuse, is woefully inadequate.

They may be woefully understaffed but their performance is woefully inadequate and has been since I have had dealings with them. As an example, since the day we went to court for the formal adoption of our daughter, social services have never once enquired how we are getting on. That was 12 years ago. However it seems they still continue to "help" the birth mother who so viciously maimed her own baby (our daughter). 

[Rewulf]

8 minutes ago, WestonSalop said:

They may be woefully understaffed but their performance is woefully inadequate and has been since I have had dealings with them. As an example, since the day we went to court for the formal adoption of our daughter, social services have never once enquired how we are getting on. That was 12 years ago. However it seems they still continue to "help" the birth mother who so viciously maimed her own baby (our daughter). 

Our society.
Spend all the resources trying to rehabilitate the (often un curable) perpetrator, and forget the victim...why ?

[Blackbriar]

I am ashamed that this appalling catalogue was allowed to happen in my home town - the perpetrators must be brought to justice without any further delay and, if found guilty, punished to the limit of the law.

 

[panoma1]

1 minute ago, Blackbriar said:

I am ashamed that this appalling catalogue was allowed to happen in my home town - the perpetrators must be brought to justice without any further delay and, if found guilty, punished to the limit of the law.

 

As should those who failed to do the job they were paid to do, and allowed it to happpen!

[Rewulf]

2 minutes ago, panoma1 said:

As should those who failed to do the job they were paid to do, and allowed it to happpen!

I wouldnt hold your breath.

[panoma1]

2 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

I wouldnt hold your breath.

Arguably they have been criminally negligent, or at least by ignoring complaints and consequently failing to protect these children were they not guilty of misconduct in public office?

[Blackbriar]

12 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

I wouldnt hold your breath.

Me neither. 

The first of 13 (!) inquiries started in late 2015, and ended in October 2018. Given that some of the allegation go back the best part of 50 years, it looks like the County and City councils have already did a good job in spinning it out a bit !

[Rewulf]

8 minutes ago, panoma1 said:

Arguably they have been criminally negligent, or at least by ignoring complaints and consequently failing to protect these children were they not guilty of misconduct in public office?

I would say yes, but how many get prosecuted, or even sacked ?

Most of them, carry on, get promoted and retire with nice fat pensions.

How many got into trouble in Rotherham ?

1 minute ago, Blackbriar said:

The first of 13 (!) inquiries started in late 2015, and ended in October 2018. Given that some of the allegation go back the best part of 50 years, it looks like the County and City councils have already did a good job in spinning it out a bit !

There were people talking about it much further back than that, 'insufficient evidence' got mentioned a lot.

[henry d]

5 hours ago, WestonSalop said:

Seems to me that there's a view in society that says kids in care are in some way tainted and therefore don't deserve to be listened to, let alone believed. Its almost always the case that its not their fault they are in care - someone somewhere has let them down badly.... [Snipped]

Pretty much seems to be how I see it, however I remember that at the time there was a group called PIE (paedophile information exchange) who were actively trying to change the way people think about the age of consent to further their own desires. I would think that some of them then got into jobs in care services, as it would be unlikely that they would shrug their shoulders and do something else instead.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Absolutely shocking!