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Orkney child abuse scandal

(Redirected from Orkney child abuse inquiry)

The Orkney child abuse scandal began on 27 February 1991, when social workers and police removed children—five boys and four girls, aged eight to fifteen and all from the families of English "incomers"—from their homes on the island of South Ronaldsay in Orkney, Scotland, because of allegations of child abuse. The children denied that any abuse had occurred, and medical examinations did not reveal any evidence of abuse.

Aerial view of the Southern end of South Ronaldsay, Orkney (photograph taken in 2017)

Background

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The 'W' Family

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The 'W' family, two parents and fifteen children, moved from Rousay to South Ronaldsay, Orkney in 1985.[1] In 1985, the Orkney Social Work Department became aware of concerns regarding abuse towards the children by the father, and on 16 March 1987 the father pled guilty to child sexual abuse and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.[2] The family remained in contact with Social Work, and in 1989 further concern was raised following allegations by one of the female W children. Eight of the W children were taken to places of safety as a result of allegations of sexual abuse by siblings on the 22nd June and Place of Safety Orders were discharged on 26 June 1989. On the 13th July, the Children's Hearing decided that the youngest W children should return home under supervision, with the condition that they not have contact with their older brothers. The Royal Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (RSSPCC) (now known as the charity Children 1st) expressed concern about the provision of care for children, by Orkney services, and submitted this in a letter to the Chief Executive of the Orkney Islands Council on 2 February 1990.[1]

The children's mother, Mrs W, was assigned two social workers in 1989 and these were Michelle Miller and Rab Murphy. Both social workers expressed difficulty in speaking with Mrs W because of the frequent presence of visitors to her home such as Mrs T, Mrs M, Mrs McKenzie and the local GP Dr Broadhurst.[1] The M and T families were recorded, by the social work department, as helping with tutoring the W children, babysitting and providing Mrs W with support when corresponding with authorities.[1] In October 1990, Mrs Millar assigned Miss Lynn Drever to work specifically with one of the female W children, OW.[1]

In November 1990, OW, alleged that she was the subject of sexual contact with her older brothers and a Presbyterian minister.[3] On the 1st November 1990, a Place of Safety Order was obtained for OW. The Social Work Department worked with the police to investigate the allegations and by the 6th November, Place of Safety Orders had been made for seven of the younger W children, aged under sixteen years old.[3] The following day, 7 November, The Children's Hearing for OW was held and Mrs W attended, with Mrs M, Mrs T, and Mrs McKenzie.

All the children, when taken to the mainland under place of safety, were medically examined except for MW.[1] The doctor who examined OW reported evidence of "sexual penetration" that occurred after her father's imprisonment, and evidence of "chronic penetrative abuse" was reported regarding AW, QW and SW, for which the later was said to occur after her father's imprisonment.[1] On 23 January 1991, a hearing resulted in the children being subject to supervision order with a condition of residence away from home, and their mother was denied contact with them for three months.[3] Prior to this, in December 1990, the children had been placed in more permanent placements in the Highlands region which separated some of the children.

Support for the W family increased during this time, as supporters garnered publicity protesting against the removal of the W children.[4] Mr and Mrs M, Mrs T, the Reverend Mr and Mrs McKenzie, Mrs Oakes, and Mrs W raised their concern with the local MP, local Member of the European Parliament and the Scottish Office. Contact, by Mrs M and the T family, was also made to some of the W children's foster parents, social work on the mainland and sent presents and letters to children.[4] Mrs Millar, social work, found references in some of the letters disturbing, for example, a letter from Mrs T to BW about fixing an electric heater, because she did not see why a child of BW's age should be fixing electrical appliances and thought there may be an ulterior meaning. However, Millar and social work did not address this issue with Mrs T.[1]

Interviews with the 'W' Children

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Social workers and members of the RSSPCC agreed that the interviews should be either videotaped or audio recorded, however not all interviews were.[1] Interviews were held with the younger W children by a social worker, staff of the RSSPCC and with the police, from November 1990 to March 1991, in some cases. Three of the younger W children made separate allegations of sexual abuse and recounted taking part in outdoor rituals in a quarry and on a beach in South Ronaldsay.[3] The children mentioned Mr Reverend McKenzie, the M family, the T family, the B family, and the H family. On 6 February 1991, when interviewed, MW described dancing to popular music with the children and adults and was quoted saying "we don't need to talk about the dirty stuff."[1]

Removal of the M, T, B and H children

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By the 13th of February, Mr Lee and Mrs Millar agreed that they should seek the removal of nine children under Place of Safety Orders, because they believed there was corroborated evidence, provided by the interviews, of sexual abuse.[1][5] The removal was of the children from the four families was planned to be simultaneous because social work, and the authorities involved, did not want the families to communicate with one another, hide some of the children or destroy evidence.[6] Prior to the removals, social work sought to find out more information about the four families and the children, and as part of this they requested information from the schools the children attended.

At 6am on 27 February 1991, the team of social workers and police met at Kirkwall Police Station. They distributed and carried out the Place of Safety Orders for the nine children of the four families at 7am.[3] Preparation was also made, in the meantime, for the safe houses for the children. Parents were refused access to the children once they were removed from their homes, and the children were not allowed to bring personal possessions. Parents and the Church minister, Mr McKenzie, were interviewed by the police.[7]

The removal of the children received significant press coverage, and became known in newspapers as the "dawn raids." Media attention was both from the UK and international, for example, in an article, for the American newspaper the Record-Journal, entitled "Social workers in hot water for removing kids" Laurence Marks writes:[8]

The terrifying dawn raid, in which distraught children were dragged weeping from their parents, had horrified the islanders of this quiet, law-abiding community, and shocked the rest of the nation.

— Laurence Marks, Record-Journal

In her book "Framing Abuse: Media Influence and Public Understanding of Sexual Violence" researcher Jenny Kitzinger is critical of the way the media portrayed the Orkney case, specifically the framing of the "dawn raids."[6] Kitzinger conducted research on a focus group, who recall the case at the time it was ongoing, to determine what they remember about the case from the media at the time. The results suggested that people recalled most; the prominent coverage of the "dawn raids", "dawn raids" as a phrase most associated with the case, and that media coverage was dramatic and instilled sympathy within the public towards the parents.[6]

The case came to court in April, and after a single day the presiding judge, Sheriff David Kelbie, dismissed the case as fatally flawed and the children of the four families were allowed to return home. The judge criticised the social workers involved, saying that their handling of the case had been "fundamentally flawed"[9] and he found in summary that "these proceedings are so fatally flawed as to be incompetent" and that the children concerned had been separated and subjected to repeated cross-examinations almost as if the aim was to force confessions rather than to assist in therapy. Where two children made similar statements about abuse this appeared to be the result of "repeated coaching".[10] He added that in his view "There is no lawful authority for that whatsoever". Sheriff Kelbie also said that he was unclear what the supposed evidence provided by the social services proved.[9]

The children were returned by plane to Kirkwall airport on 4 April 1991 where they were reunited with their parents.

The Reporter appealed against the dismissal of the case and on 12 June 1991, the Court of Session, sitting as Scotland's premier civil appeal court, upheld the appeal, stating that the Sheriff had "allowed himself to form views about the contents [of the social workers' evidence that] would have made it impossible for him to bring a fair and balanced judgement to the issues".[7]

The case was remitted back to the sheriff court to proceed. The Reporter took the view that in the light of factors including the publicity since Kelbie's decision, the case was severely compromised. The application was formally abandoned.

The objects seized during the raids were later returned; they included a videotape of the TV show Blackadder, a detective novel by Ngaio Marsh, and a model aeroplane made by one of the children from two pieces of wood, which was identified by social workers as a "wooden cross". The minister was asked to sign for the return of "three masks, two hoods, one black cloak", but refused to sign until the inventory was altered to "three nativity masks, two academic hoods, one priest's robe".[11]

Inquiry

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The controversy resulted in an official inquiry established in August 1991, chaired by Lord Clyde. The inquiry published its report in October 1992. It described the successful appeal against the first judgement as "most unfortunate" and criticised all those involved, including the social workers, the police, and the Orkney Islands Council. Social workers' training, methods, and judgement were given special condemnation, and the report stated that the concept of "ritual abuse" was "not only unwarrantable at present but may affect the objectivity of practitioners and parents".[12]

Causes

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Liz McLean, the social worker who led the interviews with the children, had also been involved in the 1990 Rochdale "Satanic Abuse" case. She was later sharply criticised by Lord Clyde in the official inquiry into the South Ronaldsay case, and in another investigation into similar allegations in Ayrshire.[13]

Interviewing techniques

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During the investigation the children received several lengthy interviews. McLean was later described by several of the children as a terrifying figure who was "fixated on finding satanic abuse", and other children described how she urged them to draw circles and faces, presumably as evidence indicating abusive rites.[13] These techniques were strongly criticised by Sheriff Kelbie.

One of the children later said of the interviews:

"In order to get out of a room, after an hour or so of saying, 'No, this never happened', you'd break down."[14]

One of the children later said:

I would never say that a child's testimony in the company of Liz McLean at the time [is reliable]. She was a very manipulative woman, and she would write what she wanted to write. I would doubt any child supposedly making allegations in that situation."

— Interview with "Karen", 2006[13]

Media

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In 1992, an episode of the television show Rumpole of the Bailey dealt with the Satanic Abuse hysteria. Called 'Rumpole and the Children of the Devil', it dealt with a panic over children, including leading questioning of them, wild accusations and taking of the children into care. It was inspired by the Orkney case, and earlier cases.

On 22 August 2006 a documentary on the case titled Accused produced by Blast! Films was transmitted by BBC2. The programme included dramatic reconstructions of some of the interviews conducted with the children by social workers, and allowed participants in the affair—including the children—to speak for themselves.[15]

Victim lawsuit

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In September 2006 it was announced that one person, who had been 8 years old when she was taken into care by social workers in November 1990, intended to sue the council. She said that she had been the victim of a "witch hunt" by overzealous social workers determined to break up her family. She said that the interview techniques used at the time were designed to break the children down, and that she was bribed with sweets to tell social workers what they wanted to hear.[16]

In February 2008 it was reported that she would receive legal aid to sue the council.[17] However, as of 2024, no further information has been provided regarding the details of this lawsuit.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Clyde, Lord James J (27 October 1992). "Inquiry into the Removal of Children from Orkney in February 1991". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  2. ^ "The Orkney Inquiry". The Therapeutic Care Journal. 31 July 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e Nelson, Sarah (8 June 2016). Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Radical Approaches to Prevention, Protection and Support (1 ed.). Bristol University Press. doi:10.46692/9781447313885. ISBN 978-1-4473-1388-5.
  4. ^ a b Black, Robert (1992). Orkney: a place of safety; [the story of the Orkney child abuse case] (1. publ ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate P. ISBN 978-0-86241-350-7.
  5. ^ W, Esther (23 May 2013). If Only I Had Told. Ebury Press. ISBN 978-0091950156.
  6. ^ a b c Kitzinger, Jenny (2004). Framing abuse: media influence and public understanding of sexual violence against children. London ; Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto Press. ISBN 978-0-7453-2332-9. OCLC 56648928.
  7. ^ a b "The Orkney Inquiry: 'Reporter' is central figure in emotional saga". The Independent. 28 October 1992. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ Record-Journal (8 April 1991). Record-Journal. p. 7.
  9. ^ a b "1991: Orkney 'abuse' children go home". BBC News "On This Day". 4 April 1991. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  10. ^ Jenkins, p. 186
  11. ^ Findlay, Alistair (14 June 2019). Mollycoddling the Feckless: A Social Work Memoir. Luath Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-912387-60-1.
  12. ^ Bennett, p. 287
  13. ^ a b c Addley, Esther (21 October 2006). "Interview: Esther Addley meets". The Guardian. London.
  14. ^ "Orkney abuse children speak out". BBC News. 22 August 2006.
  15. ^ "Accused - Blast Films". Blast! Films. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
  16. ^ "Orkney abuse scandal victim to sue for lost youth". The Scotsman. 11 September 2006. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011.
  17. ^ Thompson, Tanya (27 February 2008). "Woman wins legal aid to sue over child abuse scandal". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018.

References

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  • Jenkins, David (1992). Intimate Enemies: Moral Panics in Contemporary Great Britain. Aldine Transaction. p. 186. ISBN 0-202-30436-1.
  • Bennett, Gillian (2005). Bodies: Sex, Violence, Disease, and Death in Contemporary Legend. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1-57806-789-8.
  • Black, Robert (1992). Orkney A Place of Safety?. Canongate Press. p. 192. ISBN 0-86241-350-8.
  • Dr. Reid, David H. S. (1992). Suffer The Little Children. Napier Press, St. Andrews, Scotland. p. 168. ISBN 1-871479-03-7.
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