Source: The Times published on this site Friday 11th May 2018 by Jill Powell
Gabriella Swerling writes:
“A couple were free to abuse their twin baby boys as police and social workers at a scandal-hit authority missed opportunities to save them, The Times can reveal.
The “wicked” mother and her partner, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, have been convicted of causing serious harm to both children.
Throughout their trial, jurors heard harrowing details of the abuse. One toddler had 69 separate injuries and his brother had 42. These included extensive neck bruising, unexplained anal bruising, bleeding in the brain, spinal fractures and a scalp injury probably caused by “being dragged by the hair”.
It has since emerged that despite repeated visits from social services and health visitors in the months leading up to one child being hospitalised, they failed to spot warning signs that the children were being abused.
The mother was already on a child protection plan following concerns about her parenting but this was “stepped down” in January 2016. Minshull Street crown court in Manchester also heard that police officers failed to investigate reports of abuse from a concerned family friend.
The police watchdog has launched an investigation and the council has launched a serious case review. Tim Evans, prosecuting, told jurors: “These children were being beaten and no one was acting to stop the beatings.”
The case raises fresh questions over the local authority’s approach to child protection. The Rochdale grooming scandal led to the early retirement of Cheryl Eastwood, the council’s executive director of social services, the resignation of Steve Garner, its director of children’s social services, and departure of Elaine King, manager of its safeguarding children unit, in 2012.
A review found that 50 Rochdale girls — many of whom were in care — were identified as having clear links to takeaway businesses and associated taxi companies. However opportunities to protect them from an abuse ring were missed because social workers dismissed them as teenagers “engaging in consensual sexual activity”.
Last month Richard Farnell, a recently resigned council leader, was also suspended by the Labour party after allegations he “lied” to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse that he knew nothing about the Knowl View abuse scandal when he was Rochdale’s town hall leader between 1986 and 1992. Rochdale’s former Liberal MP, Cyril Smith, acted as governor for several schools, including Knowl View, and was the subject of allegations concerning his abuse of young boys. He died in 2010 and never faced trial.
Yesterday the couple, both of whom have drug habits and cannot be identified, were due to be sentenced but proceedings were postponed as the judge required further paperwork.
The court heard how from January to May 2017 the mother kept only eight out of 19 appointments made by social workers and health visitors. One witness who had visited the mother’s house on April 9, 2017, said she was so concerned by bruising on one of the boy’s bodies that she went to the local police station. No evidence was heard in the trial of any visit by police.
Less than two days later one twin, aged two-and-a-half, was hospitalised with a ruptured pancreas. A doctor found that such an injury was probably caused by “a kick, punch or stamp”.
Details of the abuse came to light after paramedics arrived at the mother’s home in the early hours of April 11, 2017, following reports of a child suffering breathing difficulties. The male defendant said marks on the boy’s stomach were because he had tried CPR by “punching him in the belly”.
Dr Henry Ticehurst, medical director for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said a health visitor had regular contact with the family and “provided an enhanced service”, however the family did not permit access on multiple occasions and missed appointments.
The trust accepted “that there are some areas for improvement”. Rochdale council said it would not comment until after sentencing, due on June 29.”
