How Could You? Hall of Shame-UK- Phillip Saunders & CPS UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Bristol, UK, a 4-year-old foster daughter was left with a foster carer who was downloading sexually-explicit photos of young children.

“LITTLE girl was left in foster care with a man accused of downloading child abuse pictures in a shocking case authorities tried to suppress.

The Sun was banned from reporting how the four-year-old remained with the man for a FORTNIGHT after social workers learned of the suspicions.

But after a two-month legal battle a High Court judge has overturned the gagging order.

In a victory for freedom of speech, Mr Justice Baker ruled a council was “unjustified” in trying to stop us revealing a court’s criticisms of its social workers’ role in the case.
He said: “It is in the public interest for these matters to be published.”

A Family Proceedings Court was told how the girl had been living with the foster carer for three months when police informed social services he was suspected of accessing vile child abuse images.

On the same day, May 14 last year, the youngster — known as Child A — told her real dad and a social worker she had been “strangled” by another child at the home.

Despite this, she was still returned to the foster carer.

Her dad — then unaware of the indecent images allegation — rang police and they told an emergency social work team.

But the girl was not seen until the following day by her social worker Sherilyn Pritchard. Even then, she was not examined by a doctor and was again sent back to the home.

Social workers then waited SIX DAYS before deciding what to do and another WEEK before removing the girl and another child.
The foster dad, who we cannot name for legal reasons, committed suicide a day later.

He downloaded images of child abuse in 2010 but the offences only came to light last year. It later emerged there were concerns about the home two years earlier.

Magistrates who heard the case last October said Bristol City Council had failed to follow child protection procedures. They said social workers didn’t take the girl’s claims seriously — and slammed them for not acting immediately.

And handing down his judgment in the case, Mr Justice Baker blasted the council for seeking an injunction against us on October 10.

Defending freedom of expression, he said: “There is a danger that those who practise in the family justice system fail to give proper consideration to the Article 10 rights of the media. This must now cease.”

He ruled that we should be able to name Sherilyn Pritchard and Trevor Barnes — another social worker involved in the girl’s care.

The girl is now in a new foster home. Speaking outside the hearing, her father said: “I am livid. They said she wasn’t safe at home but they put her where someone had been downloading child abuse images.”

Bristol City Council said: “We are undertaking a thorough evaluation of practice, which will be reviewed independently.”

Foster girl, 4, given to ‘paedo’

[The Sun 1/9/13 by Emily Nash and Ben Cusack]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

They want adoptions to occur FASTER when they can’t adequately screen foster parents.

Update: “The father of a young girl who was sent to live with a foster carer who was later accused of downloading indecent images of children says he was “horrified” when he found out.

The girl’s father told The Post he was “angry, upset and horrified” when he finally found out what had happened.

Magistrates were told the girl, who cannot be identified, had been living with foster carers for three months when police informed social services the man was suspected of accessing images of child abuse.

On the same day police raised their concerns – May 14 last year – the youngster had told her dad and a   council “contact worker” that she had been strangled by another child at the home. Despite this, she remained in the house and it was actually her   father who reported the alleged   assault to police, who then told social services. Despite having red marks on her neck, the girl was not examined by a doctor.

Social workers waited six days before deciding what to do and another week before removing the girl and   another child from the house.

Social worker Sherilyn Pritchard told magistrates there was “not enough information to justify immediate removal” of the girl at that stage. Her manager Trevor Barnes was  also at the hearing and was aware of the girl’s case.

The city council went to the civil court to ban the press reporting the details of the case or naming the social workers involved after Bristol magistrates criticised the council’s lack of action.

That reporting ban has now been lifted, in part, by Mr Justice Baker at the High Court in London, who ruled it was in the public interest for the story to be published.

The foster dad, who we cannot name for legal reasons, reportedly committed suicide soon after the police began investigating him.

Magistrates who heard the case said the council had not followed child protection procedures following the alleged assault.

In their judgment, they said: “At the time of the allegation of physical abuse, the local authority were already aware of other allegations   relating to child pornography at the address.

“Despite this, and having parental responsibility through the interim care order, they failed to remove A (the girl) for a period of 14 days.”

They added that “with hindsight, Ms Pritchard acknowledged the risk of sexual, physical and emotional harm to A” during that time.

“These matters concern us greatly and we believe should be thoroughly and forensically investigated and   reviewed in an independent forum.”

The girl’s father said  last night:  “When I found out the reason she was removed I felt angry, upset – I was a mixture of emotions. I was horrified and was almost numb.

“I can’t believe something like this could happen – they should have taken her away straight away, not waited two weeks.”

The father said he first had “serious concerns” after hearing that his daughter was regularly hiding from the male foster carer.

But he said his complaints were “passed off as me being awkward”.

A city council spokeswoman said: “We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. As soon as it was confirmed the foster father was the prime suspect around the download of indecent images, we took immediate action, with the removal of children from the foster carers’ home.

“In response to the magistrates’ comments, we are undertaking a management review and have brought in an independent expert from a national children’s charity to assist us. ”

No disciplinary action is being taken against Ms Pritchard, or any other social workers involved in the case, but the council stressed it had conducted an internal review.

Referring to the reporting ban the council pushed for, she added: “We have only ever sought the judgement of the court on this case to protect the interests of  children.”

The girl, now five, is in a new foster home.”

“I was horrified”, says father of foster girl “sent to live with pervert”

[This is Bristol 1/10/13 by Daniel Evans and Rachel Gardner]

Update 2: Ban is lifted on the name of foster parent. We have added Phillip Saunders to title of post.

“HGV driver Phillip Saunders, 59, was allowed to look after a four-year-old girl for TWO WEEKS despite social services knowing he was being investigated for downloading sickening child abuse images.

Avon Coroners’ Court yesterday heard he was found dead in his van after slashing his wrists.

Bristol City Council twice tried to gag us.

But the order banning reporting of the case was overturned by a High Court Judge.

The council said: “This was a sad case for all involved.”

Gag lifted on suicide foster dad

[The Sun 7/4/13 by Alex West]