How Could You? Hall of Shame-UK-Foster Carer

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 the UK, “an investigation into the man uncovered claims that he launched a tirade of verbal abuse at one child and emotionally abused and slapped other youngsters in his care.

He cannot be named for legal reasons, to protect the identity of his victims.

Now aged in his seventies, the west Cumbrian man received an 18-month prison term at Carlisle Crown Court. This was suspended for two years after a judge heard of his previous good character and “glowing” reports from other foster children.

Judith McCullough, prosecuting, said the man’s conduct towards a boy sparked the probe.

The child reported him being verbally abusive and, from day-to-day, “physically violent”. Matters came to a head as an altercation prompted him to leave the foster home.

“He was concerned that the argument was not over,” said Miss McCullough. “Expecting trouble when he got back home, he used his mobile phone to record what happened on his return.”

The foster carer swore at the teen, described him as “weak, numb and thick” and, said Miss McCullough, told the youth how he would “rather nut him and stamp on his face”.

The man taunted the child, asking: “Who is going to believe a little liar like you?”

As police were alerted, other children were removed from his care. They were “dishevelled”, and claimed the man would verbally abuse and slap them.

One youngster described a “regime of fear” in the house.

When interviewed, the man called the recorded tirade a one-off, and initially denied other allegations. He said he was “shocked” by the other youngsters’ claims.

However, the man later admitted five child cruelty crimes, committed over a five year period.

He accepted verbally abusing the boy and, intermittently, using physical violence as a “misconceived measure of control”.

He conceded there was also intermittent verbal abuse of the other children and “rough handling” including pushing and, occasionally, “single slaps”.

Greg Hoare, defending, suggested the man’s health during the period of offending had deteriorated more than he was prepared to acknowledge.

“He accepts there were occasions when he did lose patience with them.

“They were shouted at. In a way that was how it arose,” said Mr Hoare, who spoke of “courageous” guilty pleas.

The man was “embarrassed and ashamed” by the phone recording, and for many years had fostered “perfectly properly”.

Recorder Michael Murray admitted he had “thought long and hard” about whether to impose an immediate jail term.

He was however “just persuaded” not to, with the man’s significant ill health described as a major mitigating feature of this difficult case.

The man must observe a three-month night-time curfew, and pay £1,500 costs.”

Cruel foster carer subjected vulnerable children to a ‘regime of fear’

[News and Star 7/31/17]

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