How Could You? Hall of Shame-UK-Foster Parent
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 Hull,UK, “An “evil” Hull foster carer raped his granddaughter and two young children in his care despite a neighbour reporting concerns of abuse to police and Hull City Council.
In a “grotesque” case described by a judge as “one of the most serious of its kind”, Hull Crown Court heard the man, 64, had assaulted a brother and sister – aged under 10 – who he was supposed to be looking after.
A neighbour grew suspicious of smacking noises from next door and recorded conversations he heard through the wall. Mr Gregg said these included the man saying: “You’re getting very attractive, you two are very sexy people. You’re both sexy together.'”
Humberside Police were given the recordings in 2011, but “no further action” was taken until the girl told her new carers in 2014.
Freedom of Information figures also reveal there were five complaints against the man during his nine-year stint as a Hull City Council foster carer, the final one “relating to sexually inappropriate remarks”.
Mr Gregg, prosecuting, said: “He told her he had given her a home and shelter, and had to repay him. He would get into bed with her, he would take off her pyjamas and touch her.”
The man also asked the girl if her little brother should be “let in on their little secret,” and abused both the children in front of each other.
After the hearing, detective constable Rachel Walton, said: “This was a horrific case – one of the worst I have had to deal with in my career and, first and foremost, my thoughts are with the man’s victims and their loved ones.
“Unfortunately, when the recordings first came to light there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the man with any offences. The children were spoken to by specialist officers and social workers, but did not make any allegations against him at that time.
“However, we and our partners in social services immediately visited him and formally interviewed him about his behaviour. The children were removed from his care that day, he and his wife were taken off the foster care register and he was prevented from having any unsupervised contact with any child from that point forward.
“We also wrote to the man to inform him that although we would not be taking any further action at that point, that if further evidence emerged we would be reopening the investigation.
“It was some years later that the first of his female victims revealed what had happened to her and the case was reopened. At that point the other victims also came forward and, as the full picture of his depraved behaviour emerged, he was charged with the offences he ultimately admitted and was found guilty of committing.
“We understand he is likely to be sentenced to a significant prison sentence and hope that the conclusion of the case will allow his victims and their loved ones to start to put this behind them. Their bravery in coming forward and talking about what happened to them cannot be underestimated.”
Jon Plant, the council’s City Children Safeguarding Manager, said “immediate steps” were taken as soon as they were aware of the abuse.
He said: “The young victims have shown great courage in coming forward and talking about what has happened to them, in what are extremely difficult circumstances for them.
“A review of the approval process, support and monitoring of the foster household in this case has been undertaken, with oversight from the Hull Safeguarding Children Board.
“While there is always learning from cases, the review did not identify any missed opportunities to safeguard children in this case.
“On the first occasion that any concern was raised about possible harm to children, immediate steps were taken to ensure their safety. From this moment, the carer in question did not foster any further children.”
In May 2016, the man admitted:
- 4 charges of sexual assault on girl under 13
- 2 counts of inciting a girl under 16 to sexual activity
- 4 rapes of a boy under 13
In April 2017, he was found guilty after trial of rape and attempted rape of a girl under 13.
The man’s granddaughter, now 17, told the court she “took an overdose” because of the horrific betrayal of trust. She said: “If I didn’t look the way I do, if my hair was different, my body different, perhaps he wouldn’t have wanted to do that to me.
“It’s the last thing I think about most nights, and most mornings when I wake up. I loved (my granddad) to pieces, and he broke my trust.
“He always told me that if a boy hurt me he would shoot them. And he hurt me far more than anyone ever could.”
Judge Jeremy Richardson said: “The complete horror of this case is fully apparent and the whole offending can only be described as grotesque.”
Judge Richardson adjourned sentencing until Monday morning. He indicated the man would probably spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
‘Evil’ Hull foster carer sexually abused children for years
[Hull Daily Mail 5/3/17]
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