TWO daughters made pregnant 18 times by their Sheffield father have received an apology from the authorities who failed to protect them.
The apology was made at a news conference this afternoon, which revealed the findings of a serious case review.
The man, who cannot be named, was given a life sentence after admitting 25 counts of rape in 2008.
The review found missed opportu
nities and collective failures to protect the children over three decades.
The family had contact with 28 different agencies and 100 members of staff over 35 years in Sheffield and Lincolnshire, including police, doctors, nurses and social workers.
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 have failed this family."
Speaking to the family directly Chris Cook, independent chair of Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board, said: "We are genuinely sorry. We should have protected you."
He added: "We must remember that people's lives were devastated both by a controlling, power-obsessed and deviant father and our failure to act."
The serious case review showed the family moved 67 times so the father could avoid detection.
Professor Pat Cantrill, independent report author of the serious case review, said opportunities "were missed individually and collectively".
"The inquiries that were identified should have resulted in the children being taken to a place of safety but that did not occur."
Prof Cantrill added: "For some professionals, I honestly believe they got quite stuck around this situation. They didn't know how to handle it."
The report divided the family's experiences into three episodes - their time in Sheffield from 1975 to 1988; the period in Lincolnshire from 1988 to 2004, and the four years between 2004 and 2008 back in Sheffield again.
On 23 separate occasions from 1998 to 2005 the daughters were specifically asked about the paternity of their children by various people.
But the report found that, despite concerns, nothing was done, as professionals felt that, as there was no evidence to prove it, there was nothing they could do.
Ms Fiennes said: "Professionals felt - wrongly - that, despite suspicions voiced by the other family members, they could not act unless they had a direct disclosure from the women themselves. It was plainly unrealistic to expect victims in these harrowing circumstances todisclose what happened to them."
Dr Sonia Sharp, executive director of Children and Young People's Services on Sheffield Council, said: "What is very clear in this case is there is not a single big omission or big act that we can say 'Yes, it was that person'.
"What we can see, systematically, is time after time after time there were groups of people that failed to take action."
The press conference was told nobody had been disciplined, sacked or had resigned over the failings.
The father was 56 at the time of his sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court.
The judge, Alan Goldsack QC, said the case was the worst he had seen in 40 years.
Attacks on the victims led to 18 pregnancies. Nine of the children were born, two of whom died on the day of their birth.
The rest of the pregnancies were miscarried or aborted.
The abuse started when the women were pre-pubescent, and they were badly beaten if they failed to comply.
The father's minimum jail term of 19-and-a-half years was cut to 14-and-a-half years at the Court of Appeal in May 2009.
The executive summary makes 128 recommendations - including eight national recommendations - for improving understanding, practice, procedures and training on interfamilial abuse.
Don't miss our daily pull-outs - only in the The Star: Monday Star Sport, Tuesday Class Act; Wednesday Business; Thursday Grassroots; Friday Time Out; Saturday Retro. Subscribe to The Star - CLICK HERE READ MOREJoin the Star reader panelMain news indexYour lettersFeaturesSouth Yorkshire's environmental newsKids ZoneMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsLatest sport 