Blog
The Ongoing Story Of Richmond Upon Thames Council and Sexual Child Abuse.
Sep
The story unfolds as the news of Child abuse in the Childrens homes of Richmond Upon Thames Council gets clearer, my own case of abuse triggered my need to know more and the councils response to my disclosure to that abuse. I was a resident of Grafton Close Childrens Home 1984, already being abused by my sisters boyfriend Philip John Saunders and by her prior to meeting him. My school days were destroyed by these events eventually ending up in the children’s home Grafton Close, its clear how this came about being monitored by the school for my absence and my behaviour I was picked up by education welfare officer Jackie Maynard Mason my assigned social worker at the time Clare Hey had been involved for 12 months prior visiting my parents home trying to establish why I was missing school, yet nothing was more troubling than being placed in that home. I thought I was safer there for the first day or two after the initial shock of being removed from home. Yet it just wasn’t to be!
Th e images above reflect the FOI request of the book I was entered into on the day I was placed into Grafton Close, please note the dates on this book and that it was redacted. The other names that are in here all all just as important as we all went through a extremely difficult time. It actually states in this book I was 15 truth is I wasn’t not 15 until the 15th November of that year. I was 14 on entry but there was those there younger than me. Below is the card entry of my social worker and that of the section I was placed at Grafton close under.
Here in this home my abuser Philip John Saunders was able to visit the home and take me out and continue his vile sexual abuse on me as he pleased and made sure I was aware that there was no escaping him despite being placed in this home. I was allocated a link worker Christine Dunning she was the one I was apparently to trust and talk to in meeting and I guess to look to should I need anything. What actually happened is that she made it very clear I was much more to here than a venerable child I was in fact something that she desired sexually and made that very clear. I was constantly in that position every time she was around me or in my company. I was 14 and sexually desirable to the woman probably twice my age. I was in a one on one meeting with her and in this meeting towards the end of my time there it was said she could get me out of the home with a favourable review if I agreed to sleep with her.
After this meeting I was out of the home and back home at my parents within days. I did not sleep with her but the open invitation was there and this is how I escaped Grafton Close far quicker than I should have. No more questions asked I never returned to school the school actually wrote to my parents to say there is no point in him returning. Now my father was not happy about this at all and called a meeting of social services at home and in attendance was Terry Earland with others his words when my father questioned what had gone on ” Keith unfortunately is one of those children that has slipped through the net” not long after this meeting I left home and went on my way into the world of more alcohol and drugs sleeping around friends houses and where ever I could lay my head. Until I was allocated my first bedsit room by the Richmond Churches Housing trust at aged 18.
Below is a the link to the Story of Terry Earland and his brief with the MP Jenny Tonge of Richmond Park Jenney can be seen in the middle of the image alongside her colleagues Ed Davey MP Vince Cable MP and Others
Its been a journey of revelation and further intrigue to me as I have spoken to others affect by child abuse in this home and all have stated that they have been rejected and sent to solicitors when disclosing to the council Richmond Upon Thames, those story’s of abuse just like David Harris abused by the homes manager that same manager was present when I was placed at Grafton Close Childrens home. David’s harrowing story of abuse can be read here.
David approached the council about his abuse by the manager that was employed by Richmond upon Thames after the manager Stingemore and McSweeney where in place, you would think that given what happened with those two that a new manger would be one of a clean sweep but no it seems that yet another paedophile was put in place and in charge of the children’s home the very same Manger when I was placed there which was Dennis Brown. So we know now that two staff members were abusing children after the events of Stingemore but I have now spoken to others that were abused post this time dating back to the mid 70’s I’m certain the list doesn’t stop there either. When David di get his response from the council he was passed to solicitors much like myself and denied real justice or any authentic apologies from the council. David has given me permission to show his letter and it reads as below but please note how he is spoken to and what they do to steer him away from pursuing any litigation or redress.
Moving on I have been trying to get the Council to realise that this batting away of cases and how they deal with them are incorrect and there is clearly no procedure for those that do come forwards and they are utterly unprepared for these cases even though they knew Child abuse existed in these homes. Such as Grafton Close Childrens Home. Its important to note the date of the solicitors letter and you will see its well after the date of when I disclosed to the council. You would think that knowing about my case and then hearing David’s there would be a light bulb moment and to look into it further but to my knowledge there has been nothing of the sort just cover up denial and silence.
Below is a new code of practice set out for councils in England for case just like these and it would seem that Richmond upon Thames run by the LibDems has failed to use or acknowledge it.
Given we have the code above I wrote the he leader of the council Gareth Roberts he wrote back to me with the response below and you can see after 4 years of trying that there is little effort into wanting to support or assist those that do come forwards.
