Sale parents guilty of ignoring abuse of daughters

A couple who turned a blind eye as their adopted daughters were abused have been convicted of child cruelty.

The sisters, from Sale, in Greater Manchester, were abused while in the care of two of their parents' friends.

They told the couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but they did nothing to stop the abuse because the men "helped them with money and a car".

The father was also convicted of abusing the elder girl at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

The 55-year-old was found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child over a six-year period.

He and his 54-year-old wife are expected to be sentenced on 1 October.

They had denied charges of child neglect for failing to protect the sisters, now aged 10 and 16.

The wife was released on bail but her husband was remanded in custody.

Last year, Colin Molloy and Sam Nelson were jailed after pleading guilty to a string of sexual offences committed against the two youngsters, which started when they were aged seven and 13.

The court heard the girls were abused when they were looked after by the two men, who were friends of the family and referred to as their "uncles".

Manchester City Council said the adoptive couple were subject to a "full assessment and checks" when they applied to become adopters.

Speaking after the hearing, Pauline Newman, the council's director of children's services, said an independent evaluation confirmed proper procedures were followed.

"The sad fact is that there will always be a small minority people who wish to hurt the most vulnerable in our society," she said.

"The adoption process is not easy and the procedure has become even more thorough since this couple went through it.

"The vast majority of adoptive parents want to provide the best possible family for children and young people - and do a fantastic job. This case must not detract from that fact."