Inquiry into care home abuse claims

At least 40 alleged victims have been identified

By BBC social affairs correspondent Kim Catcheside

Hundreds of people with learning disabilities may have been at risk of sexual abuse at a care home in south London, the BBC has learned.

A joint investigation by the NSPCC and the police is examining allegations of sexual abuse at the Betts Way home in Bromley over the last 12 years.

It is thought that at least 40 victims have been identified so far, though there could be many more.

The allegations concern up to four staff at the home.

I had to sit and hear my daughter tell me...things that no child should ever have to tell their parents

'Sarah'

Betts Way offered respite care to families with children with learning disabilities until it was closed in the spring.

Sarah - not her real name - was one of 11 parents contacted in August 1999 over allegations made by their children about abuse at Betts Way.

Her daughter says she was repeatedly raped by one of the staff over a number of years.

He is now employed by another local authority.

"I had to sit and hear my daughter tell me the kind of things that would never have been raised during basic sex education, things that no child should ever have to tell their parents," she said.

But according to Sarah, the police have said her daughter's abuser is unlikely to be prosecuted because the alleged attack took place some years ago and there are no other witnesses.

Prosecution problem

Sarah told the BBC: "I asked the police officer who interviewed my daughter if she believed my daughter had been abused.

"She looked me in the eye and told me she was absolutely certain that she had been abused, although it probably couldn't be proved in court."

For campaigners who work in this area, Sarah's tale is a familiar one.

Adults and children with learning disabilities are very vulnerable to sexual abuse.

If you're a perpetrator there's a huge chance that you'll get away with it

Alan Corbett
Respond

Research suggests there are at least 1,000 new victims each year.

Yet only three percent of cases are prosecuted, and many of those do not succeed.

Children with learning disabilities may have Down's Syndrome, they may be autistic and they often have great difficulty communicating.

It is hard for them to stand up to cross-examination in court.

The result, according to Alan Corbett from the charity Respond, is that abusers walk free.

"If you're a perpetrator there's a huge chance that you'll get away with it because cases simply don't go to court."

New techniques

Respond is developing new counselling techniques to try to get evidence from victims that will be accepted in court.

There are changes on the way that may help. Next year adult victims with learning disabilities will be able to give evidence over a video link and they may be included in a scheme to video the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses before a trial begins.

But although these changes are welcomed, campaigners say there needs to be a fundamental change in the way courts see the evidence of people with learning disabilities.

"My daughter isn't capable of lying about such things," says Sarah. "Her evidence should be taken seriously."

In the meantime, Sarah is hurt and angry that her daughter's alleged abuser will probably go unpunished.

She says: "The one thing I dread is the police knocking on my door, saying they're re-opening the case because he's abused someone else."

Respond has a helpline for people with learning disabilities who have been abused, on 0845 606 1503.

Voice UK also offers counselling to families and victims of abuse. Their helpline number is 01332 202555.