FOSTER ABUSE PROBE TO BE MADE PUBLIC

Hearings to start next month

Mark Lavery

Yorkshire Evening Post

AN INDEPENDENT inquiry into how Yorkshire's first gay foster carers were allowed to abuse young boys in their care is set to get under way next month.

The former head of social services in Surrey, Brian Parrott, will be seeking answers as to why Wakefield Council failed children in the care of paedophiles Craig Faunch, 32, and Ian Wathey, 40.

His findings will be made public.

The pair, formerly of Sides Road, Carleton, Pontefract, were convicted of a dozen offences at Leeds Crown Court last month, including sexual activity with a child and taking indecent photos. They were warned they face a substantial period behind bars.

Approval The inquiry's terms of reference include establishing a timetable of events from the assessment and approval of the pair as foster carers through to the withdrawal of the accreditation.

And it will establish whether the council followed policies and procedures, the level and appropriateness of intervention, and recommendations of lessons which can be learned from the case.

The report findings will also be reported to the local Safeguarding Children board.

Coun Wayne Jenkins, Wakefield Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "The safety of children in our care is our first priority. We have considered carefully who the best person would be to lead this inquiry, and we hope that preliminary work can begin in July." A total of 19 boys were placed in the care of Wathey and Faunch, who were approved as carers by Wakefield Council in 2003.

Four of the boys, two of them aged eight, were abused.

The mother of a 14-year-old boy abused by the two perverts is planning plans to sue the council for failing her son.

She is furious the council failed to take any action after discovering the men had taken an indecent photograph of one of eight-year-old twins urinating in May 2004.

Embarrass Instead, the council accepted the couple's explanation they had taken the photo to embarrass the boy into closing the toilet door.

Wathey and Faunch went on to abuse two more boys, including the woman's son who has the mental age of a seven-year-old, until one victim complained to the police in January 2005.

Faunch and Wathey will appear at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing later this month.

mark.lavery@ypn.co.uk