Orkney child abuse scandal

The 'W' family The 'W' family, two parents and fifteen children, moved from Rousay to South Ronaldsay, Orkney in 1985. 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. 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 22 June and Place of Safety Orders were discharged on 26 June 1989. On 13 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. On 1 November 1990, a Place of Safety Order was obtained for OW. The Social Work Department worked with the Northern Constabulary to investigate the allegations and by 6 November, Place of Safety Orders had been made for seven of the younger W children, aged under sixteen years old. 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. 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. 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 6:00a.m. 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 7:00a.m. The case was covered by the BBC on ''Nine O'clock News, ITV News at Ten, and Channel 4 News'' in March 1991. In this report by Bob Parker, some of the parents of the children who were removed are interviewed for the first time. Reverend McKenzie is interviewed and denies the allegations describing them as "bizarre". Paul Lee, director of Social Work at the time, said "I'm satisfied that we did everything we should have done in an appropriate way", but the families lawyer John Moir said that social workers did not follow the Cleveland and Rochdale guidelines. == Proof hearing ==

The case came to court on 3 April 1991, by acting Orkney Reporter Gordon Sloan following the parents' refusal to accept the grounds of referral to the Children's Panel. Where two children made similar statements about abuse, this appeared to be the result of "repeated coaching". Sheriff Kelbie added that in his view "There is no lawful authority for that whatsoever" and he also said that he was unclear what the supposed evidence provided by the social services proved. The children were returned by plane to Kirkwall airport on 4 April 1991 where they were reunited with their parents. 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 had been 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". On 1 May, the Crown Office issued a statement in which it was said no one would be charged with any offence, and there would be no continuing criminal investigation. Gordon Sloan decided to abandon the appeal and took the view that in the light of factors including the publicity since Kelbie's decision, the case was severely compromised. ==The Clyde Inquiry==

In June 1991, the UK Government announced that there would be a public inquiry under Lord James John Clyde with the remit to investigate the authorities' actions and to make recommendations for future place of safety orders. The Clyde Inquiry report did provide greater insight into the initial abuse allegations by the W children, details of the interviews with the nine children and their foster families, and the planning of the authorities involved, most notably social work departments. ==Criticism and analysis==

In her 2013 memoir If Only I Had Told, Esther W writes how she was abused by an unnamed care worker, when she was taken into care after the abuse by her father. In her 2016 book, Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Radical Approaches to Prevention, Protection and Support, Sarah Nelson is critical of the media's representation of the case. Nelson believes that some reporting was problematic or inaccurate, arguing that allegations were explained as being proven completely unfounded when, Nelson writes, there is possible evidence to support belief in the allegations. Nelson also quotes the reaction of one of the children cited in Lord Clyde's Inquiry Report: Lord Hope, at the Court of Session, criticised the Sheriff for not allowing some of the evidence to be heard. Stark said "This evidence may have included medical and forensic evidence which remains unheard. The manner in which information was given by the children, whether willingly or as alleged by hearsay, by interrogation remains untested. Without being in possession of all the facts any judgement made from outside must be treated with caution." 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. One of the children later said: ==Victim lawsuit==

In March 1996 the families involved in the case accepted an apology from Orkney Islands Council, and they received compensation £10,000 for each child and £5,000 for each parent involved. However, the W children did not receive an apology or compensation. Esther W said "I just felt like we were very much an aside, as opposed to the people who were at the centre of it." In February 2008 it was reported that she would receive legal aid to sue the council. In 2012, it was identified that the case was to be brought about by May Willsher, who also said she was sexually abused as a foster child. However, as of 2024, no further information has been provided regarding the details of this lawsuit. ==Media==

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. ==See also==