David Bonelle
The Waterhouse report 2000 "Lost in Care"
1)
Summary of content and the Governments response
The Waterhouse Report and recommendations "Lost in care" was the result of the North Wales Child Abuse Tribunal of enquiry" This report looked into abuse within children's homes in North Wales between 1974 and 1976 The enquiry was conducted by Sir Ronald Waterhouse.
The reports of abuse were made by children living in the Children's homes of North Wales. One of the Managers Named Alison heard the reports from the children themselves. The reports were taken to her superiors who did nothing about it.
Further to that Alison took her reports to the police, the social services denied any further investigations.
The council denied to publish these reports because if the stories were found to be true then the council's insurance would become void. However the committee did refer the report to the Secretary State for Wales in considering whether a public enquiry should be insisted. The report wasn't read by either the committee or the council.
In March 1996 just over 20 years after some of the reports of alleged child abuse had happened , Sir Ronald Water House chaired the biggest child abuse enquiry in British history .
Most of the claims were of physical and emotional abuse, pedophilia , child slavery and beating the children.
The enquiry team stated that the standard of care and the levels of education were below acceptable levels in the homes investigated. Previous staff had already had previous criminal records that had not been investigated.
In 1993, three years before the investigation North Wales police had recommended that 20 suspects should be prosecuted of who 19 were alleged abusers but for the next two years only criminal proceedings were taken against only 8 individuals of whom six were convicted.
The health minister at the time said "He was sad that the very system that was put in place to safeguard children had failed so...