The brutal attacks against several children at a Glasgow drugs den could have been prevented by child protection services it has been said – a special task force is being set up to learn the failings
The victims abused by a “monstrous” devil mask child sex abuse system were failed by the system, Scotland’s children’s minister has said.
Natalie Don-Innes, a Scottish National Party politician, called the harrowing case “horrifying” before adding lessons needed to be learned. The victims aged under 13 were subjected to horrific sexual abuse and violence at a filthy drug den in Glasgow over a seven-year period from 2012.
Seven members of the child abuse ring were given life sentences in the form of orders for lifelong restrictions on Monday and were told they could die behind bars. Iain Owens, 46; Elaine Lannery, 40; Lesley Williams, 43; Paul Brannan, 42; Scott Forbes, 51; Barry Watson, 48, and John Clark, 49, were caged for between eight and 20 years and handed orders for lifelong restriction
The children suffered “unimaginable abuse in the drug den dubbed “the beastie house” police said. They added abuse included gang rape, attempted murder and assault. Questions were raised about why authorities did not prevent the crimes, despite signs of abuse and absences from school.
Three children were on the radar of authorities from July 2018 after they were added to Glasgow City Council’s child protection register. Alba MSP Ash Regan said the case “reeked of institutional failures” as the victims were known to protection services before police started their investigation in 2020.
According to the Daily Record, Regan told MSPs: “As a mother, my heart broke listening to the tragic circumstances of abuse suffered by these children. But, of course, the Scottish Government has a duty to safeguard vulnerable children. Yet this case reeks of institutional failures.
“These children were on the Child Protection Register. Yet they were failed. These children were known to agencies with a duty of care to protect them. Yet they were failed. These children were chronically absent from school. Yet they were failed.
“And these children showed blatant signs of neglect. Yet they were failed. The Scottish Government has presided over this catastrophic failure at every single level.”
Ms Don-Innes said the case “horrified” her before adding “there is no getting away from the fact that these children were failed.” She now said a task force was in the process of being created to find what could be done to protect children from harm online while a child sexual abuse and exploitation group would give advice about what actions could be taken to keep children safe.
Judge Lord Beckett previously told the offenders, whose jail sentences totalled to more than 93 years that they may never be released from jail. He added: “This court is used to hearing the worst examples of human behaviour but such depravity towards young children is beyond my experience.”
