Shocking failure
SOCIAL work and health professionals failed to protect two Sheffield sisters from their rapist father who sexually and physically abused them for more than 30 years - because they were too intimidated to intervene, a damning report has found.
A Serious Case Review published yesterday found more than 100 professionals from 28 different agencies including Sheffield Council, Sheffield NHS and South Yorkshire Police, repeatedly missed opportunities to protect the two girls who were made pregnant 18 times by their 'controlling and abusive' father.
The report said even though professionals had suspicions the girls were being physically and sexually abused, no action was taken because staff didn't know what to do and information about the incest was not shared because workers were worried about legal action.
The report said: "Professionals failed to listen and consider situations from the child's perspective. "Too often they took the word of parents at face value" and "Disclosures of abuse were ignored or disregarded."
The independent report said the focus was on keeping the parents on side and professionals "lost sight of the children."
It stated: "Professionals were not prepared to confront the parents. Some professionals were afraid of the father but prepared to leave children in the environment."
The sisters, who gave birth to nine children fathered by their dad, lived with him, their mother and younger brother in Sheffield before moving to Lincolnshire in 1988 and then back to Sheffield in 1992.
They were raped and physically abused almost daily from the age of eight.
Yesterday it emerged social services in both cities were involved with family from as early as 1975 but failed to act. The father's hideous crimes only became apparent when the daughters plucked up the courage to contact police in 2008.
In total the family was moved 67 times between 1975 and 2008 by the father in a bid to conceal his crimes.
The report found professionals from health, social services, police, housing, voluntary sector and other agencies in Sheffield and Lincolnshire who were involved with the family, suspected the girls were being physically and sexually abused by their father and that he had fathered their children but were "paralysed into a collective helplessness".
Professor Pat Cantrill, author of the report, said: "It only needed one person with tenacity to keep pushing this and pushing this and action might have been taken much earlier. There was enough evidence to result in the children being removed from their parents but this didn't happen. The injuries should have resulted in the children being moved to a place of safety but that didn't happen either."
Sue Fiennes, Independent Chair of Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board, said: "We want to apologise to the family at the heart of this case. It will be clear that we failed this family.
"We are genuinely sorry, we should have protected you. We are all committed to working relentlessly to do all we can to minimise the risk of this happening again and indeed we have taken action. Lessons are being learned by the agencies involved."
During the press conference at which the report was unveiled it emerged not one of the professionals involved in the family's care had been sacked or disciplined.
Dr Sonia Sharp, executive director of Sheffield Council's Children and Young People's Services said: "No individual has been disciplined or dismissed or sacked. It was a collective failure."
BUY ONLINE: The Sheffield Telegraph and Property Guide are now out every Thursday. To sign up on line click here.
MORE:
Local News
Local Sport
Arts Guide
Community News
Listings Guide
Restaurant Guide
Letters
Email to a friend
Print this page- Katie shines as burns unit opens
- New TV prison drama does time in Sheffield
- MATCH REPORT: Sheffield Wednesday 0 Blackpool 3
- Snow Patrol chats to The Star ahead of their Sheffield gig tonight- LISTEN TO AUDIO INTERVIEW
- SNOW LATEST: Airport reopens as South Yorkshire returns to normal - but wrap up Monday
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
