Nottingham: Sexual abuse of children in care homes 'widespread', report finds

Sexual abuse of children in care homes in Nottinghamshire was widespread for decades and a failure to learn from mistakes exposed more young people to harm, a report has found.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse revealed in the report published today that abuse including repeated rapes, sexual assaults and voyeurism took place during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in many of Nottingham City Council and Nottingham County Council's homes as well as in foster care.

As well as this, "harmful sexual behaviour" also occurred between children in both areas, it said.

The report said: "For more than five decades, the councils failed in their statutory duty to protect children in their care from sexual abuse.

"These were children who were being looked after away from their family homes because of adverse childhood experiences and their own pre-existing vulnerabilities.

"They needed to be nurtured, cared for and protected by adults they could trust. Instead, the councils exposed them to the risk, and reality, of sexual abuse perpetrated primarily by predatory residential staff and foster carers."

Around 350 people came forward to reveal the alleged abuse they suffered dating back to the 1960s. The true scale is likely to be higher.

Between the late 1970s and 2019, the report found 16 residential staff were convicted of sexual abuse of children in residential care. Ten foster carers were also convicted of sexual abuse of their foster children.

The panel said it was also aware of 12 convictions relating to the harmful sexual behaviour of children against other children in care.

At the notorious Beechwood Care Home, male and female former residents described being routinely sexually abused by members of staff and being too scared to report it.

The report said "sexualised behaviour by staff was tolerated or overlooked" which allowed some abusers to "flourish".

The abuse also took place at other children's residential units, including Hazelwood, Skegby Hall, Edwinstowe, Sandown Road, Wollaton House, Hillcrest, Risley Hall, Greencroft, Beckhampton Road, Woodnook, Amberdale and Three Roofs.

The report warned weaknesses "continue" in the care system in the areas and recommended both councils "assess the potential risks posed by current and former residential care staff and foster carers".

It added Nottingham City Council should "commission an independent, external evaluation of their practice concerning harmful sexual behaviour, including responses, prevention, assessment, intervention and workforce development".

Nottinghamshire Police was also criticised for not properly resourcing investigations into allegations of historical abuse of children in care, nor treating allegations with "sufficient seriousness".

One of the survivors said the abuse and lack of care had "ruined my life" and left them unable to settle or trust people.

They added: "I count myself lucky in some ways, as many survivors are still battling alcohol or drug addictions, have seen the inside of a prison cell, or, devastatingly taken their own lives because of what these animals did to us.

"I just hope that this won't be a flash in the pan and that this remains in the public eye until the whole system is cleaned up."

Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, said it was "appalling" children in Nottingham suffered sexual abuse from "those who should have nurtured and protected them".

She added: "Those responsible for overseeing the care of children failed to question the extent of sexual abuse or what action was being taken.

"Despite decades of evidence and many reviews showing what needed to change, neither of the councils learnt from their mistakes, meaning that more children suffered unnecessarily."

The investigation is the third into a specific local area - following Lambeth and Rochdale - in which organisations have been found to have failed to protect children from sexual abuse.