London council 'culture of cover-up' saw Lambeth care home children abused

27 July 2021, 12:08 | Updated: 27 July 2021, 12:47

Lambeth town hall. The inquiry said the south London council had allowed violence and sexual assault to flourish in its children’s residential homes
Lambeth town hall. The inquiry said the south London council had allowed violence and sexual assault to flourish in its children’s residential homes. Picture: Alamy
EJ Ward

By EJ Ward

A report has found children in the care of Lambeth Council in London suffered years of cruelty and sexual abuse over several decades.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has also found police should consider a criminal investigation into the death of one child at Shirley Oaks in the 1970s.

Employees in the south London borough of Lambeth "treated children in care as if they were worthless", and appeared to demonstrate "a callous disregard for the vulnerable children they were paid to look after", according to the findings of the inquiry.

Read more: Vaccine sceptic father, 34, dies from Covid after wishing to 'turn back time'

At least 700 of the home's former residents have made allegations about abuse, including reports that paedophiles targeted the campus in Croydon.

Watch: 'Amazing' and 'interesting insight' into life in prison from ex-offender

Shelagh Fogarty's exchange with sexual abuse survivor

The inquiry heard evidence of children being raped, indecently assaulted and sexually abused, but said that of the 705 complaints made by former residents across three such facilities, only one member of senior staff was ever disciplined.

It estimated the number of those abused was likely much higher, and recommended the Metropolitan Police should consider whether there are grounds for a criminal investigation into one boy who died in a care home in 1977 having previously complained of being abused by a senior member of staff.

In its summary, the IICSA report said: "With some exceptions, they (Lambeth Council staff) treated children in care as if they were worthless. As a consequence, individuals who posed a risk to children were able to infiltrate children's homes and foster care, with devastating, life-long consequences for their victims.

Read more: Sir Keir suggests he supports vaccine passports for mass events but 'not for everyday use'

Read more: Free fully-vaccinated from having to isolate sooner than August, Boris Johnson told

"For several decades, senior staff and councillors at Lambeth Council failed to effect change, despite overwhelming evidence that children in its care did not have the quality of life and protection to which they were entitled, and were being put at serious risk of sexual abuse.

"When systemic failures were identified, time and again they were minimised and levels of risk ignored."

Church abuse victim says he can "never forgive" his abuser

The inquiry into Lambeth Council, held in the summer of 2020, examined five facilities - Angell Road, South Vale Assessment Centre, the Shirley Oaks complex, Ivy House and Monkton Street - dating back to the 1960s.

The report highlighted the case of Michael John Carroll, a member of staff at the Angell Road children's home who had failed to disclose in the 1970s a previous conviction for child sexual abuse but was retained when this was eventually found out.

He was subsequently convicted in 1999 of 34 counts of child sexual abuse, including of two boys in the care of Lambeth Council between 1980 and 1983.

The report found "clear evidence" that sexual offenders and those suspected of sexual abuse were co-workers in Lambeth Council's children's homes at the same time.

Carroll also had a role in recruiting staff and investigations at Angell Road.

The report said: "Through such poor practice and its failure to respond to concerns and allegations, Lambeth Council put vulnerable children in the path of adults known or suspected to be perpetrators of child sexual abuse."

It described sex offenders as likely feeling "untouchable", while children were left feeling "isolated and ignored".

The report identified a "culture of cover-up" and a "lack of concern for the day-to-day lives of children in its care".

It said Lambeth Council was dominated by "politicised behaviour and turmoil" during the 1980s, when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, and that the council sought to "take on the Government" to the detriment of local services.

The report said: "During that time, children in care became pawns in a toxic power game within Lambeth Council and between the council and central government.

"This turmoil and failure to act to improve children's social care continued into the 1990s and beyond."

It said "bullying, intimidation, racism and sexism thrived within Lambeth Council", all of which was set within a context of corruption and financial mismanagement which permeated much of Lambeth Council's operations.

The report acknowledged there were "much-improved systems in Lambeth", but said there was still evidence of a more recent case, from 2016, in which an allegation of rape did not result in a strategy meeting taking place to consider the claim.

The report added: "For several decades, senior staff and councillors at Lambeth Council failed to effect change, despite overwhelming evidence that children in its care did not have the quality of life and protection to which they were entitled, and were being put at serious risk of sexual abuse.

"When systemic failures were identified, time and again they were minimised and levels of risk ignored."

The report made a number of recommendations, including that the council publish an action plan to deal with the issues raised in the report, and for a review of recruitment and vetting checks of current foster carers and children's home staff.

It also said Scotland Yard should consider whether there were grounds for criminal investigations into the council's actions when providing information to the coroner about the circumstances of a child's death - known during the inquiry as LA-A2 - who died in the bathroom at Shirley Oaks in 1977 having previously alleged his house father, Donald Hosegood, abused him.

The inquiry heard Lambeth Council did not inform the coroner of the boy's allegations.

Other areas of investigation during the long-running inquiry have included Westminster, the church and the internet.

The final report of overarching findings from all 15 sections of the investigation is laid before Parliament at a later date.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Drivers queuing in Dover on Friday morning

Holidaymakers hit with 2-hour Dover ferry waits amid strong winds, as 2.6m hit the roads for Good Friday getaway

The attack happened on a train in south London

Teenager charged with attempted murder after south London train stabbing, with victim still in critical condition

Mother Natalie Pinnell

Mother left in tears after daughter with complex needs 'erased' from school photo

Amber Rudd and Mary Beard have both been nominated to the Garrick Club

Amber Rudd and Mary Beard among seven women nominated for membership of all-male Garrick Club

Exclusive
Anneliese Dodds said Labour would make sure local people have 'skin in the game' with tackling inequality

'Rebuild has to start from ground up,' Labour's Anneliese Dodds says, and 'local people must have skin in the game'

Mohamed Mansour has been awarded a knighthood

Conservatives accused of 'cronyism' after donor who gave £5 million awarded knighthood in surprise honours list

Exclusive
Justin Welby recalled his experience of coping with his father's drinking as a teenager.

‘It was utterly isolating’: Archbishop of Canterbury recalls harrowing childhood with alcoholic father

More than 2 million drivers are set to hit the road on Good Friday.

Easter Carmageddon: Over two million drivers to hit the road on Good Friday after Storm Nelson travel chaos

Michael Gove has slammed the water firm as a 'disgrace'.

Thames Water bosses branded a ‘disgrace’ as Michael Gove tells firm ‘not to punish consumers’ for its failings

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

A council has had to apologise following the incident.

Fury as parents offered version of school class photo without complex needs pupils

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto