Lambeth council blasted for failure to act on dad’s ‘sex abuse’ fears for daughter

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A dad has been awarded a £1,150 payout because his local authority ignored concerns that his daughter was being sexually abused.

Lambeth council failed to investigate claims that the nine-year-old had seen her mum, and mum’s partner – a known sex offender – having sex while sharing a bed with them.

Council staff received tip-offs about the alleged incident from the girl’s dad and another individual in 2018, but didn’t act on the concerns, according to a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which deals with complaints about councils.

Instead, social workers allowed the girl to keep living with her mum – an alcoholic who refused to seek help, and on one occasion forgot to pick her daughter up from school.

The council also failed to take action when it received a report that her mum’s new partner – a sex offender – would be moving in with her mum.

The girl’s dad, known as Mr B, “was caused prolonged, significant and unnecessary distress” by the council’s failure to protect his daughter, according to the ombudsman decision, dated August 29.

The ombudsman ordered the council to pay him £1,150 compensation in recognition of the distress Lambeth’s failings had caused him, and the time and trouble it had taken him to expose the problems.

The findings noted the incident where the girl had allegedly seen her mum and her partner have sex would be a form of child sexual exploitation, and that the council had ‘“failed in their duties in relation to this matter”.

The council was criticised for failing to check on the girl every 10 days – a legal requirement for a child on a child protection plan.

Lambeth council accepted all the recommendations.

A Lambeth council spokesman said: “The council has accepted the findings and has agreed action that the ombudsman’s investigator said will remedy the injustice.

“We have apologised to those who were let down and have submitted evidence that the council has carried out the actions needed in line with the ombudsman’s report.

“We are now focussed on preventing similar failings in the future.”

Pictured top: Lambeth town hall (Picture: LDR Grainne Cuffe)