“A full and thorough Inquiry”

I was watching TV and heard those dreaded words in response to something or other. Its a phrase we have often heard down the years. It is the standard response of social services depts, local authorities, gov depts and Ministers, etc. Aside from the Hillsborough Panel has anyone ever heard of one that was “full” and “thorough”, particularly when it came to the investigation of abuse of any kind of children in care? I recently offered as an example the Melanie Klein House “Inquiry” that wasn’t.
I do not want to bore you with some 10,000 plus worded report. I thought I could illustrate my point with 2 press cuttings and a letter. A “full and thorough inquiry”? You can make your own mind up…..

A beginning.

A middle.

The end.

Thanks to the sterling work of Det Chief Inspector Richard Thompson and his team of Greenwich Police, they did finally manage to interview one person under caution – a certain Cllr Fay, about the theft of Log Books.

Silly me! “A full and thorough inquiry” We were obviously using different dictionaries. I should look it up on Wikipedia. No I have an idea, why don’t I ask the Metropolitan Police to set up Operation  ‘Ever Hopefull’?

Never mind the abuse of children, I am sure it will be able to get to the real truth – who knicked the Log Books? Oh, hang on a minute. At this point can I make it absolutely clear, that I have no recollection of being handed any Log Books. Oh dear, I seem to have caught that Leon Brittan Syndrome!  I wonder if I can get some tablets from my Doctor for it?

When is an Inquiry not an Inquiry ?

Everyone following The Needle will have seen the posts on Melanie Klein House, a secure unit for girls, run by the London Borough of Greenwich. You will also know there was an “Inquiry” into the allegations about this home following my letter to David Mellor.

I was told there was an Inquiry. Naypic were told there was an Inquiry. Mr Mellor said there was an Inquiry. Ditto London Boroughs Regional Children’s Planning Committee (LBRCPC) and the Chairs of all London Boroughs Social Services Committees. Most importantly the victims of the abuse suffered at this home were told there was an Inquiry. Given the allegations included rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, sexist and racist abuse, child pornography and the use of the infamous “blanket searches”, where the girls were stripped naked by male staff members and thrown naked into cells, there was clearly much to “inquire” into.  Indeed in press releases Greenwich and the LBRCPC assured us of “a full and thorough Inquiry”.  Er, well apparently we were all mistaken….

When the redrafts of the drafts had been finally edited and amended by all relevant Directors of Social Services, the final, final report was published. Except it had become only “A Review of Management Practices and Procedures at Melanie Klein House”.
What’s that, I hear you ask? Victims? er, well, arrh, erm……

The Account Of GL1

The following statement was given to me by a girl, then aged 19, on 2^nd April 1990. I refer to her as GL1 (Green Lane Children’s Home resident 1).

GL1 would only speak about this once as she had now left care and put it behind her. After being sexually abused by her father, she was taken into care. She was fostered and sexually abused by her foster parents and returned to care. At her children’s home in Woolwich, she disclosed what had happened to her to a member of staff called Dorothy.  Not much happened – she had 2 sessions with a therapist.

GL1 came back from school one evening and was called into the office by Mr W.  The Principal Care Officer was also there. They told her she was being transferred to Green Lane Children’s Home in the morning.

GL1 said members of staff were very nice to her and some, including her keyworker, used to take her out to the pictures, Mcdonalds etc. She started an affair with one of these men just before her 13^th birthday.  A female member of staff arranged for her to go on the pill.

Just before Christmas 1984, GL1, and two other girls, one from another home, were taken by a female member of staff to a party in Eltham.  Everybody was taking drugs and she said she was “stoned”.  She remembers having sex with two or three men (from photographs she identified an MP as one of the men).  She said that young boys were also at the party, she recognised a boy aged 11 from her children’s home in Woolwich having anal and oral sex.

GL1 went to about seven of these parties over the next two years, at a house behind Eltham High Street.  She identified a number of other men who attended.  These included three men who were senior local authority social services staff.  GL 1 said that one of these men was sexually abusing a 12 year old boy from Green Lane Children’s Home.  Another boy she remembered was ‘out of his head on coke and speed’.   GL1 said he would have sex with anyone.

In mid-1985, a female member of staff and her boyfriend would take girls to parties on the south coast.  GL1 and other girls were taken to a house outside Brighton, but near the sea – she was told all the people at the party were important.  One was a judge,  another a senior policeman (he told GL1 he investigated murders).  Another owned “some big banks” and yet others were MPs.  She recognised senior social services staff and a Tory councillor.

When the female member of staff was suspended, the trips stopped for a while and when she tried to get GL1 to go to parties again, GL1 refused, as she had stopped taking drugs following the death of her friend, a boy in care at Green Lane, from drugs.   GL1 was warned by the woman to ‘keep her mouth shut’ and was told ‘these are important people and have police who will deal with you and you will end up dead’ like your friend.

GL1 is now doing okay and wants to forget –  she doesn’t want to complain or claim compensation. There were naked photos of her and her friends with men, some taken by a female member of staff in the children’s home, she doesn’t know where they are now but some of her and her friends were published in a pornographic magazine.

GL1 looked through ‘Dodds’ parliamentary directory but could not positively identify all the men, as she had been so stoned during the party.  She was, however, very definite about one MP.

She was very clear that the parties were ‘anything goes’ sex orgies and she felt very uncomfortable talking about them.

GL1 agreed that this statement was a correct synopsis of our two hour conversation and requested that I was never to disclose her name under any circumstances whatsoever.  I agreed to this. She initialled my signature and the date.  I have the original signed statement with names.

Chris Fay

A Consultation Is Not Good Enough !

In my view this is an excellent ‘must read’ article from The Independent on Sunday 

Though I am a little concerned that the Government appear to be launching a ‘consultation’ over an issue which rightfully should be part of an independent national inquiry into the way children have been treated in care homes in this country over the last 40 years.

This is a ‘sticking plaster’ approach, one designed to fob the public off and cover up the past failings and cover ups of Government and Local Authorities.

No doubt there will be another “line in the sand” / “lesson will be learnt” /”mistakes were made” conclusion.

Yet another distraction from the bigger issues.

Next month, the Government will launch a consultation to increase the responsibilities of local councils to do more to look after the children in their care. By the end of this year, only senior officials will be able to decide to place children far away from their home, and only then if it is in the child’s best interest. And children’s homes will be required to work more closely with police and local authorities to prevent children from going missing.

From April 2014, for the first time, the Government will collect national data for all children missing from care – not just those who are missing for more than 24 hours.

A Home Office spokesman said: “All missing people are recorded on a database held by the national Missing Persons Bureau, but we recognise that improvements can be made in the collection and sharing of information about children who go missing from care. We are working with other government departments and agencies to take this forward.”

The Independent

New Greenwich Archive

The eagle eyed among you may have already noticed that there is a new tab at the top of the page entitled Greenwich. This will be the home for the archive of all the material and documents that The Needle has on the abuse of children in care of the London Borough of Greenwich.

This will take a little time to be complete but it will include material that has not been published here before. We can make the uncensored documents available to journalists but only on condition that victims’ names are not made public without permission from the victim. Contact: gojam56@gmail.com

Here is an example, it is the leaflet for the demonstration that Peter Bottomley’s lawyers referred to.

Poison Pen

Greenwich: MKH Intimidation And Assault

Greenwich: More On ‘Independent’ Enquiry

Greenwich: ‘Independent’ Enquiry

‘Pay-Offs’: Victim And Abuser In Juxtaposition

You make your own mind up.

From the NAYPIC Briefing note that can be found Here

From the minutes of a Greenwich Borough Council meeting

 

“Getting Into Bad Habits Again.”

For more on the “Bad Habits” remark please see this memo HERE

For a summary of the Green Lane issues relating to the name L.A which has been redacted in this document because no charges were brought please see HERE

Greenwich: Cllr Fay Is To Blame !

Just to note that the person referred to here as ‘he’ by John Fahy, the Chairman of the Social Services Committee, is former Councillor Chris Fay.

By the looks of it he is being accused of kidnapping !

Legends In Their Own Lunchtime.

NAYPIC Briefing Note

I know this is difficult to read but if you click on the image you can enlarge the text.

“NAYPIC is increasingly disturbed at the numbers of staff who resign amidst allegations in one home and turn up in another home. We are also concerned at the growing number of ‘Pay Offs'”

Note: The name redacted is from Melanie Klein House.

By Chris Fay & Sarah Sharp, 28th May 1989.

Greenwich: Green Lane In Summary.

As promised I’ll now do a summary of the Green Lane children’s home in Greenwich, based on the documents that have been posted here.

Before doing so, I’d just like to make it clear that although the documents focus on a particular offender, who to my knowledge was never prosecuted and therefore is referred to here as L.A, sexual abuse was far more widespread at Green Lane, as can be seen Here.

We can see Here, that Cllr Fay refers to the fact that the offender, L.A, had worked previously in another children’s home where he had sexually abused children. L.A was then transferred to Green Lane where he raped one girl and sexually abused others.

L.A faced a disciplinary hearing, he was not dismissed but was charged with ‘harassment’, given a final warning, and demoted.

This NALGO union letter, Here, appears to address concerns in the media that the girl who had made the rape claim had been bullied into withdrawing it. Interestingly, that same document goes on to say that the action that was taken against L.A was not for sexual misconduct but for “other allegations” which were proven.

L.A appeared to have considerable support, not only from his union but also from his Member of Parliament Peter Bottomley, who according to this document Here, is alleged to have called Cllr Charlie Maslin on the telephone, who along with Cllr Fay had been working for a just resolution, and demanded, “call your attack dogs off L.A by Monday night.”

The girls appear to have organised a demonstration, at which some carried placards demanding that they too receive the same protection and representation as L.A had received, not only from Mr Bottomley MP but also from Cllr Clark, Chairman of Social Services Committee and Cllr Picton, Leader of Greenwich council and a member of the NALGO union.

According to this solicitors letter Here, Mr Bottomley’s reaction to this demonstration requesting parliamentary representation was to threaten to sue and when Cllr Fay protested at this heavy handed response, Here, Mr Bottomley’s solicitors threatened to sue him too, see Here.

On a slightly different note connected to Green Lane, The Needle Team has in it’s possession a diary of one of the young girls which we have not published details of yet, it makes very interesting reading.

The diary makes specific references to a man who the girls referred to as ‘The Party Man’ and his contact details and address.

I can’t help feeling that the going’s on at Greenwich Council and Greenwich Care Homes, should be looked at by the police afresh.

Greenwich: MKH In Summary

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve posted quite a few documents relating to Care Homes in Greenwich. I think it’s time to summarise. The documents refer primarily to two care homes, Melanie Klein House and Green Lane. We’ll look at Melanie Klein House first.

The 1989 NAYPIC Report, which can be found Here, and the Addendum, which can be found Here, catalogue numerous incidents of physical and sexual abuse at Melanie Klein House against many girls. I’d like to look specifically at the appalling ordeal of ‘Girl B’ in that report. It was reported in the press, Here. The Needle team have access to a more detailed report of the abuse that ‘Girl B’ suffered but we feel that what is already in the public domain is graphic enough. I will only add that the abuse was filmed.

‘Girl B’ had been kidnapped and held over a weekend. A memorandum, Here, demonstrates that five members of staff at Melanie Klein House were willing to swear that at least two staff members knew the two people who undertook this sadistic sexual attack, and that they knew of ‘Girl B’s whereabouts while this attack took place. The two staff members were asked to resign, they were not charged with any crime.

On ‘Girl B’s discharge from hospital she was locked up in a secure unit (see NAYPIC Report) As a Ward of Court ‘Girl B’ had no individual rights.

Although Melanie Klein House was the the responsibility of Greenwich Borough Council, ‘Girl B’ was a ward of court of Brent Borough Council. Brent Council obtained a High Court injunction against it’s own Councillors and a team of police officers in an effort to cover up what had happened. (see Here)

Every case of physical and sexual abuse at Melanie Klein House is a tragedy and this particular case identifies many aspects which can be seen in others. As Wards of Courts these children had no legal rights. The complicit behaviour of the same staff members again and again in the sexual and physical abuse, succinctly demonstrated by the NAYPIC Addendum, Here, and the willingness of some Councillors and Council staff to brush embarrassing revelations under the carpet and even actively try to cover it up.

Bottomley Lawyers Threaten Libel Action Against Cllr Fay

As a reminder, you can find the ‘Bottomley’ “Call off the Attack dogs” line Here.

Bottomley Lawyers Threaten Libel Action Against NAYPIC

Greenwich: ‘Dear Mr Bottomley’

Very Important Please Read

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Edmund Burke

The BBC have announced that Rolf Harris has been arrested. I am aware that whenever there is any news about the allegations of sexual offences against Rolf Harris, The Needle receives a steep increase in traffic. Without wishing in anyway to seem unsupportive of the victims in this particular case, I’d like to take this opportunity to write about something far more widespread.

Over the last 40 years or more, the care home system in the UK has been targeted by paedophiles, producers of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) material (child pornogaphy) , the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation, and on occasion the murder of victims, either because their deaths become sick entertainment , or because they knew too much.

Some of this has been extremely well organised and is not restricted to one or two local authorities. This is a problem that is widespread.

When I first became aware of this I felt ashamed of myself. I felt ashamed because I had assumed that the most vulnerable in our society, children in need of care of the state, were safe. To find out that that was not the case and that because, in part, of my ignorance, the sexual abuse of children was being exploited and perpetuated was very difficult.

But now I am no longer ignorant, now I know what has been going on. Ignorance is not a crime but to turn away once all ignorance has been dispelled is morally reprehensible.

There has been a systemic cover up of the truth. One reason for this is due to the fact that many child abusers hold great power, a second reason for this is because CSA is an underworld industry which makes a great deal of money and therefore corruption is rife, a third reason for this is because some people mistakenly thought that moving a problem elsewhere solved it, and finally because with so many powerful people implicated for the three previous reasons, it has become an issue of national security.

I’d like to appeal to every parent and grandparent who reads this. This is not just historic this is a very real child safeguarding issue today.

Please take the time to read the articles here on The Needle and on Spotlight. Don’t look at the individual stories in isolation. Look at the broader picture.

Now I’ve told you, now you know, remember the words of Edmund Burke, and do not turn away.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”