England UK

CARE WORKERS 'FAILED VICTIMS OF CHILD ABUSE'
By Mark Macaskill and Jason Allardyce

The Sunday Times, UK: 7 August 2005
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-1725114,00.html

A DAMNING report into the collapse of one of Scotland's biggest child
sex investigations will state that the children were subjected to
years of physical and sexual abuse.

The inquiry into the satanic abuse investigation in the Western Isles
will demand a radical overhaul of Scotland's child protection system
in the wake of the fiasco.

Seven men and one woman were arrested in 2003 in a series of
co-ordinated raids on the Isle of Lewis and in Dorset, Leicestershire
and West Yorkshire.

They were charged with sex offences involving girls under the aged of
16. However, all charges were dropped without explanation by the Crown
Office last year.

Nevertheless, the report, by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA),
concludes that there was clear evidence that the children had been
subjected to "severe and prolonged abuse" of a physical and sexual
nature "over many years".

The report, which runs to more than 150 pages and is due to be
published later this month, adds that the "disturbing" case has
"serious implications for all those involved in delivering child
protection services in Scotland".

It identifies a range of shortcomings in the way information on
vulnerable children is shared between the police, health and social
workers and makes 31 recommendations to plug the gaps. In light of the
findings, ministers are drawing up plans to reform the way testimony
is gathered by lawyers from alleged child abuse victims.

Meanwhile, solicitors acting for some of those wrongly accused have
warned that the report could lead to legal action against Western
Isles council if social workers are found to have acted negligently.
The findings will also reignite calls for an explanation as to why the
18-month police investigation - spanning four forces, 100 officers and
costing more than £100,000 - collapsed and why the girls' abusers have
not been brought to justice.

The case has echoes of the Orkney child abuse scandal in 1991, when
nine children were placed in care following allegations of ritual
abuse by their parents and a minister. However, the 133-day
investigation collapsed due to lack of evidence.

The SWIA inquiry, carried out at the behest of Western Isles council,
examined about 220,000 documents amassed during the Lewis
investigation.

"There are a number of recommendations which are far-reaching and will
mainly affect the social work and health agencies, but there are
implications for across Scotland and beyond," said a source close to
the Scottish executive. "One of the things that leaps out is that
those involved in the case are in absolutely no doubt the children
were very badly sexually and physically abused."

The report also urges ministers to tighten up the guidelines on
obtaining testimonies from child witnesses in cases involving a large
number of alleged victims and abusers.

Under measures to be announced by ministers later this year, defence
and prosecution lawyers would lose the right to question alleged child
abuse victims separately. Instead they will be required to agree a
line of questioning to be made by a professional agent during
videotaped interviews.

Last night Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish National party shadow justice
minister, demanded the rapid implementation of the report's
recommendations. "Clearly, disturbing lessons will yet again be
learnt," he said. "It is a very difficult area for all authorities but
co-operation across borders and jurisdictions is fundamental in this
modern age."

Last week, some of those arrested on Lewis said they were still
furious at the way they had been treated and dismissed the report's
finding that the children had been abused.

"My name is still mud, I lost everything, I lost my job, my car was
vandalised," said Neil Stretton, 51, who now lives in Leicestershire.
"I'm not surprised they insist there was sexual abuse, I would say
they are covering their backs."

"A lot of people have been waiting for this report, for some
explanation as to why so many innocent people were treated like
criminals," added Ian Campbell, who was taken from his home and
confined to a safe house for six months.

"We want it to be made public how this investigation was carried out,
how the information was gathered and interpreted, because that's
what's been hidden from the public."

===========================
Also see longer article here:

FOCUS: ISLAND STRIFE

Those whose lives were wrecked by false claims of satanic abuse on
Lewis will find little solace in the official report into the scandal,
says Mark Macaskill

The Sunday Times, UK: 7 August 2005
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-1724965,00.html

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Brave New Britain