Did Essex Council Fail To Report Paedophiles To Police?
Tues 1st August 2017, Yellow Advertiser

A SENIOR Tory councillor has insisted Essex Council has been ‘completely transparent’ over settlements paid to child sex victims – despite refusing to say whether abusers were reported to police.

Former Chief Superintendent Dick Madden is now the council’s cabinet member for children and families, with responsibility for the safety of children in local authority care.

Cllr Madden said: “We have been completely transparent. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply wrong.”

He made the statement despite County Hall refusing to answer three key questions about the compensation payments.

The YA revealed two weeks ago that Essex Council paid out almost £350,000 in settlements over 13 child abuse allegations between January 2012 and June 2016.

But the council refused to disclose the individual sums, claiming the figures could identify the victims to the public – a claim disputed by child abuse campaigners.

Cllr Madden said in a statement that the payments were made ‘after a comprehensive investigation process’, which included looking at ‘any action that would need taking against perpetrators’.

When asked whether it had reported any of the perpetrators to police following its internal investigations, Essex Council refused to answer.

It also refused to answer whether it required any of the victims to sign confidentiality agreements in return for their settlements.

A statement issued by the council said: “The victims in these cases have a right to privacy and as such we cannot provide any further details in relation to these cases.”

But Peter Saunders, founder of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said that in his opinion, the information requested by the YA could not identify any victims and should be released.

He said: “The question of whether or not a non-disclosure agreement was signed or in any sense imposed is an issue, but of far more seriousness is the issue of whether or not a perpetrator has been reported to the police.

“If a settlement has been paid and therefore there has been an acknowledgement of something untoward going on then that is a very serious issue.

“Anybody who has abused a child most definitely should be reported to the police.”

Expert child abuse lawyer Peter Garsden, head of the child abuse department at Simpson Millar LLP Solicitors in Manchester, said the council had a ‘moral duty’ to report the perpetrators to police, but a legal loophole meant it had no legal obligation.

Government is investigating a law change which would make it illegal for a local authority not to report perpetrators to police.

A consultation was held on the Government website between July and October 2016 and the responses are currently being analysed.

Cllr Madden joined Essex Police in 1973 and became the force’s head of child protection before becoming a chief superintendent.

His cases included the murder of schoolgirl Danielle Jones in 2001. Her uncle was later convicted of causing her death. The case was described by Essex Police at the time as the “largest investigation in the history of Essex Police”.

Both Cllr Madden and Essex Council leader David Finch declined to comment on Mr Saunders’ criticisms.

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