1. Definition of scope for the case study
This case study is an inquiry into the extent of any institutional failures to protect children in the care of Lambeth Council from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The scope of this investigation is:[1]
“1. The Inquiry will investigate the nature and extent of, and institutional responses to, the sexual abuse of children in the care of Lambeth Council (‘the Council’), including those cared for in children’s homes, by foster carers and/or by adoptive parents. The investigation will incorporate case-specific investigations and a review of information available from published and unpublished reports and reviews, court cases, and previous investigations.
2. In doing so, the Inquiry will consider the experiences of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse while in the care of the Council, and investigate:
2.1. the nature and extent of the sexual abuse of children in the care of the Council;
2.2. the nature and extent of the failings of the Council to protect such children from sexual abuse;
2.3. the appropriateness of the response of the Council, law enforcement agencies, prosecuting authorities, and other public authorities or statutory agencies to reports of child sexual abuse involving children cared for by the Council, and/or reports of child sexual abuse by individuals, who were employed by or contracted by the Council;
2.4. the extent to which the Council sought to investigate, learn lessons, implement changes, and provide support and reparations to victims and survivors, in response to:
a. allegations that individuals with access to children cared for by the Council had sexually abused children;
b. criminal investigations and prosecutions and/or civil litigation in relation to alleged abuse of children within the care of the Council;
c. reports, reviews and inquiries into child sexual abuse;
d. safeguarding, including but not limited to the Clough Report, the Harris Report, the Barratt Report, and the Children’s Homes in Lambeth Enquiry; and/or
e. other external guidance;
2.5. the adequacy of the policies and practices adopted by the Council in relation to safeguarding and child protection, including considerations of governance, training, recruitment, leadership, reporting and investigation of child sexual abuse, disciplinary procedures, information sharing with outside agencies, and approach to reparations;
2.6. the extent to which children who were sexually abused may have had special educational needs and/or any other form of special need or vulnerability and whether that may have made them more vulnerable to sexual abuse;
2.7. the extent to which there was a culture within the Council which inhibited the proper investigation, exposure, prevention, and reparation for child sexual abuse; and
2.8. the appropriateness of the relevant inspection and regulatory regimes.
3. Specific matters to be considered within the investigations may include, but are not limited to:
3.1. a consideration of child sexual abuse which took place at Angell Road, Monkton Street, Ivy House, South Vale, and Shirley Oaks Children’s Homes;
3.2. the involvement of Michael Carroll in the sexual abuse of children in the care of the Council; his recruitment and continued employment by the Council; and the circumstances surrounding his application to foster a child and the Council’s subsequent account to the Clough Inquiry;
3.3. Steven Forrest’s involvement in the sexual abuse of children; and his recruitment and continued employment by the Council;
3.4. allegations that individuals with information about the sexual abuse of children in the care of the Council were the subject of intimidation and potentially lethal violence; and allegations that there was inappropriate interference in law enforcement investigations into the sexual abuse of children in the care of the Council.
4. In light of the investigations set out above, the Inquiry will publish a report setting out its findings, lessons learned, and recommendations to improve child protection and safeguarding in England and Wales.”
2. Core participants and legal representatives
Complainant core participants:
| LA-A25 | |
|---|---|
| Solicitor | Richard Scorer (Slater and Gordon) |
| LA-A61, LA-A103, LA-A115, LA-A154, LA-A155, LA-A156 | |
| Counsel | Iain O’Donnell (1 Crown Office Row) |
| Solicitor | Marie Forbes (Verisona Law) |
| LA-A99, LA-A147 | |
| Solicitor | Alan Collins (Hugh James Solicitors) |
| LA-A131 | |
| Counsel | Stephen Simblet QC (Garden Court Chambers) |
| Solicitor | Christopher Ratcliffe (Uppal Taylor Solicitors) |
| LA-A24 | |
| Counsel | Aswini Weereratne QC (Doughty Street Chambers) |
| Solicitor | Peter Garsden (Simpson Millar LLP) |
| LA-A136, LA-A138, LA-A139, LA-A141, LA-A142, LA-A143, LA-A144, LA-A221, LA-A222 | |
| Solicitor | Malcolm Johnson (Hudgell Solicitors) |
| LA-A7, LA-A109, LA-A181 (deceased 2020), LA-A203, Russell Specterman (formerly LA-A243), LA-A271, LA-A298, LA-A299, LA-A300, LA-A302, LA-A303, LA-A304, LA-A305, LA-A306, LA-A307, LA-A308, LA-A309, LA-A310, LA-A311, LA-A312, LA-A321, LA-A322, LA-A323, LA-A324, LA-A325, LA-A326, LA-A327, LA-A330 | |
| Counsel | Susannah Johnson (7 Bedford Row) |
| Solicitor | Amy Clowrey (Switalskis Solicitors) |
| LA-A184, LA-A351, LA-A352, LA-A353, LA-A354, LA-A355 | |
| Solicitor | Imran Khan QC (Imran Khan & Partners Solicitors) |
| LA-A456 | |
| Counsel | Iain O’Donnell (1 Crown Office Row) |
| Solicitor | Charles Derham (Remedy Law) |
| Joan Twelves | |
| Counsel | Henry Toner QC |
| Solicitor | Desmond Doherty |
| Anna Tapsell | |
| Counsel | Aswini Weereratne QC (Doughty Street Chambers) |
| Solicitor | Peter Garsden (Simpson Millar LLP) |
| Richard Gargini (Retired Commander, Metropolitan Police Service) | |
| Counsel | James Berry (Serjeants’ Inn Chambers) |
| Solicitor | Deborah Britstone (3D Solicitors) |
| Dr Nigel Goldie, Stephen Whaley | |
| Counsel | Chrisopher Jacobs (Landmark Chambers) |
| Solicitor | David Enright (Howe & Co) |
Institutional core participants:
| Lambeth Council | |
|---|---|
| Counsel | Alex Verdan QC (4 Paper Buildings) |
| Solicitor | Alison McKane (London Borough of Lambeth Legal Services) |
| Crown Prosecution Service | |
| Counsel | Edward Brown QC (QEB Hollis Whiteman) |
| Solicitor | Laura Tams (Crown Prosecution Service) |
| Metropolitan Police Service | |
| Counsel | Samantha Leek QC (5 Essex Court) |
| Solicitor | Sara Royan (Metropolitan Police Service Legal Services) |
| Secretary of State for Education | |
| Counsel | Cathryn McGahey QC (Temple Garden Chambers) |
| Solicitor |
William Barclay (Government Legal Department) Treasury Solicitor |
| Independent Office for Police Conduct | |
| Counsel | Gerard Boyle QC (Serjeants’ Inn Chambers) |
| Solicitor |
|
3. Evidence received by the Inquiry
145
4. Disclosure of documents
Total number of pages disclosed: 39,276 pages
5. Public hearings including preliminary hearings
| Preliminary hearings | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 24 March 2016 |
| 2 | 27 July 2016 |
| 3 | 31 October 2018 |
| 4 | 23 July 2019 |
| 5 | 15 January 2020 |
| Public hearings | |
| Days 1–5 | 29 June 2020–3 July 2020 |
| Days 6–10 | 6 July 2020–10 July 2020 |
| Days 11–15 | 20 July 2020–24 July 2020 |
| Days 16–20 | 27 July 2020–31 July 2020 |
6. List of witnesses
| Forename | Surname | Title | Called/read | Hearing day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA-A323 | Called | 3 | ||
| LA-A321 | Called | 3 | ||
| LA-A299 | Called | 3 | ||
| Annie | Hudson | Ms | Called | 4, 12 |
| Anne | Worthington | Dr | Called | 4 |
| Josephine | Kwhali | Dr | Called | 5 |
| Bernadette | Khan | Ms | Read | 5 |
| Millius | Palayiwa | Mr | Called | 5 |
| Pauline | Lawrence | Ms | Read | 5 |
| Robin | Osmond | Mr | Called | 5 |
| Phyllis | Dunipace | Ms | Called | 5 |
| Brenda | Jones | Ms | Read | 5 |
| LA-A138 | Called | 6 | ||
| LA-A327 | Called | 6 | ||
| LA-A25 | Called | 6 | ||
| LA-A308 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A302 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A222 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A324 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A271 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A298 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A221 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A24 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A303 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A115 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A355 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A353 | Read | 6 | ||
| LA-A351 | Read | 6 | ||
| Valerie | Suebsaeng | Ms | Called | 7 |
| Clive | Walsh | Mr | Called | 7 |
| Richard | Clough | Mr | Called | 7 |
| Janet | Boateng | Lady | Called | 7 |
| Heather | Rabbatts | Dame | Called | 7 |
| David | Pope | Mr | Called | 8 |
| Clare | Whelan | Ms | Called | 8 |
| Elizabeth (Anna) | Tapsell | Ms | Called | 8 |
| Herman | Ouseley | Lord | Called | 9 |
| David | Staples | Dr | Called | 9 |
| Jon | Rogers | Mr | Read | 9 |
| Nigel | Goldie | Dr | Called | 9 |
| Gillian | Delahunty | Ms | Called | 9 |
| Clive | Driscoll | Dr | Called | 10 |
| Richard | Gargini | Mr | Called | 10 |
| Gregor | McGill | Mr | Called | 10 |
| LA-A354 | Called | 11 | ||
| LA-A300 | Called | 11 | ||
| LA-A307 | Called | 11 | ||
| LA-A147 | Called | 11 | ||
| Simon | Morley | Detective Inspector | Called | 13 |
| Mary | Harris | Ms | Read | 13 |
| Sara-Louise | Davis | Ms | Called | 13 |
| Spencer | Pickett | Mr | Read | 13 |
| Alex | Murray | Commander | Called | 14 |
| James | Bowler | Mr | Called | 14 |
| Herbert | Botley | Mr | Read | 14 |
| Helen | Kenward | Ms | Called | 14 |
| Paul | Boateng | Lord | Called | 14 |
| Stephen | Bubb | Sir | Called | 15 |
| Christopher | Hussell | Mr | Called | 15 |
| Stephen | Whaley | Mr | Called | 15 |
| Joan | Twelves | Ms | Called | 15 |
| Jo | Cleary | Ms | Called | 16 |
| Paul | Clark | Mr | Called | 16 |
| Denise | Platt | Dame | Called | 16 |
| Herbert | Laming | Lord | Called | 16 |
| Virginia | Bottomley | Baroness | Called | 16 |
| Tim | Yeo | Mr | Read | 16 |
| Carolyn | Adcock | Ms | Called | 17 |
| LA-H1 | Read | 17 | ||
| Kamlesh | Patel | Lord | Called | 17 |
| Robin | Osmond | Mr | Read | 17 |
| Alison | Steele | Dr | Called | 17 |
| Emma | Harewood | Ms | Called | 17 |
| Edward | Davie | Mr | Called | 18 |
| Emily | Phibbs | Dr | Called | 18 |
| LA-A61 | Called | 18 | ||
| LA-A449 | Read | 18 | ||
| Russell | Specterman | Mr | Read | 18 |
| LA-A325 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A181 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A481 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A322 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A312 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A309 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A326 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A311 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A310 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A352 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A306 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A203 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A131 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A7 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A103 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A141 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A144 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A142 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A156 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A456 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A155 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A109 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A457 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A154 | Read | 18 | ||
| LA-A184 | Read | 19 | ||
| LA-A330 | Read | 19 | ||
| LA-A304 | Read | 19 | ||
| LA-A139 | Read | 19 | ||
| LA-A136 | Read | 19 | ||
| LA-A143 | Read | 19 | ||
| LA-H3 | Read | 19 |
7. Restriction orders
On 23 March 2018, the Chair issued a restriction order under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 granting anonymity to any individual designated as a complainant core participant in the Inquiry’s investigations. The order covered (i) disclosure or publication of any information that identifies or tends to identify any complainant core participant as a complainant core participant; (ii) disclosure or publication of any information with the name or address of a complainant core participant if such disclosure or publication would tend to identify him or her as a complainant core participant; (iii) disclosure or publication of any still or moving image of any complainant core participant if such disclosure or publication would tend to identify him or her as a complainant core participant.
8. Broadcasting
The Chair directed that the proceedings would be broadcast, as has occurred in respect of public hearings in other investigations. For anonymous witnesses, all that was ‘live streamed’ was the audio sound of their voice.
9. Redactions and ciphering
The material obtained for the investigation was redacted and, where appropriate, ciphers applied, in accordance with the Inquiry’s Protocol on the Redaction of Documents.[2] This meant that (in accordance with Annex A of the Protocol), absent specific consent to the contrary, the identities of complainants, victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and other children were redacted and if the Inquiry considered that their identity appeared to be sufficiently relevant to the investigation a cipher was applied. Pursuant to the Protocol, the identities of individuals convicted of child sexual abuse (including those who have accepted a police caution for offences related to child sexual abuse) were not generally redacted unless the naming of the individual would risk the identification of their victim, in which case a cipher was applied.
10. Warning letters
Rule 13 of the Inquiry Rules 2006 provides:
- “(1) The chairman may send a warning letter to any person –
- a. he considers may be, or who has been, subject to criticism in the inquiry proceedings; or
- b. about whom criticism may be inferred from evidence that has been given during the inquiry proceedings; or
- c. who may be subject to criticism in the report, or any interim report.
- (2) The recipient of a warning letter may disclose it to his recognised legal representative.
- (3) The inquiry panel must not include any explicit or significant criticism of a person in the report, or in any interim report, unless –
- a. the chairman has sent that person a warning letter; and
- b. the person has been given a reasonable opportunity to respond to the warning letter.”
In accordance with rule 13, warning letters were sent as appropriate to those who were covered by the provisions of rule 13, and the Chair and Panel considered the responses to those letters before finalising the report.