Apology to girls abused by foster dad for years

[Alison J Stevens]

Apology to girls abused by foster dad for years

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Published Date: 01 April 2010

AN APOLOGY has been issued by agencies who failed to protect three young girls sexually abused by their South Yorkshire foster father over five
years.

The
apology came after a serious case review was published into the case of
58-year-old paedophile Kenneth Morton, of Lowfield Avenue, Greasbrough
in Rotherham.

Morton was jailed for 12 years in June 2008 for a string of serious sexual assaults c

arried out on three girls in his care.

The girls, aged between 11 and 13, were subjected to abuse for five years after Rotherham Council placed them in the care of Morton and his wife.

Council bosses have apologised after the review revealed a catalogue of
failures with social workers and a doctor missing warning signs which
"should have been identified and acted on" including Morton's heaving
drinking and oppressive parenting style.

The serious case review highlighted a lack of assessments or monitoring carried out after the girls were placed in his care.

It said that "while there were no signs of sexual abuse" other issues such
as Morton's heavy drinking should have been picked up on.

The report states: "Had the Fostering Panel been made aware of Morton's
level of alcohol consumption in June 2004 it is expected the approval
of the Mortons as foster carers would have been suspended pending
further investigation."

Morton's GP is also highlighted in the report for having "compromised the safety of the children" for never
carrying out an assessment of Morton's excessive drinking or referring
the matter to social services knowing he was a foster parent.

The report also says Morton's "oppressive parenting style" was "not
challenged sufficiently" and points to "a lack of scrutiny and
challenge of a number of issues".

It also criticises home visits and reviews by social workers, revealing that interviews with the
children concerned were never carried out in private, meaning they were
not able to report the abuse.

Alan Hazell, chairman of Rotherham's Local Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The monitoring of
care was not robust enough, and for that, all the agencies involved
apologise."

Nobody from Rotherham Council has been disciplined despite the criticisms in the report.

[Jess]

I am one of the girls stated above. I never received an apology, and so was surprised when I came across this.

[Alison J Stevens]

Apologize, to late once the horse has bolted, these girls will have to cope with the trauma for the rest of their lives, the serious case review revealed that heir was a lack of assessments and monitoring after the girls were placed with this male foster carer.
The chairperson of the local safeguarding board in Rotherham stated that the monitoring of care in this case was inadequate, thousands of children could be suffering the same fate up and down the country, Ofsted have failed many Social Services Departments on their on the spot safeguarding inspections,and similar concerns have come out in reports of these failings.
May be Foster carers should have psychological assesments on a regular basis, which may prevent such tragedies, i am sure many of these carers would be labeled with personality disorders.