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Police 'failed' rape family
IN-LAWS of the rapist dad from Sheffield who fathered nine children with his daughters today claimed they told police of the abuse 20 years ago.
Furious family members said the abuse - which went on for 30 years - was known among relatives, yet police failed to act on their concerns.
Today, the attacker's sister-in-law said: "The police could have stopped it. They let those girls down."
She added: "Our family has gone to the police a number of times over the years. My mother-in-law - the girls' grandmother - will be turning in her grave now because she did all she could to get the police to take action."
The woman, who lives in Sheffield, spoke out after the girls' father was finally brought to justice when he pleaded guilty at Sheffield Crown Court to 25 rapes and four indecent assaults.
The 56-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victims, has been remanded in custody to be sentenced next month.
The court heard the divorcee repeatedly raped his daughters from 1979 until last February. As a result, the girls fell pregnant 19 times, giving birth to nine children, seven of which survived.
The sister-in-law said that while she was relieved the dad is finally behind bars, he should have been caged years earlier when suspicions were raised after the birth of the first child 20 years ago.
She said: "We all suspected what was going on, did not agree with it, and it was reported to the police when the oldest daughter first gave birth."
She said the girls' mum left the marriage because it was an abusive relationship and her daughters were turned against her.
"Her husband was wicked - he would beat her up, lock her in the house and throw her down the stairs. He was a violent, violent man. On the day she left he threw her down the stairs.
"The dad turned the girls against their mum and although we suspected what was happening, the girls never said anything, probably through fear of what he would do.
"People may ask, 'How could the family not do anything about this?'. But we tried to get it to stop. We went to the police but nothing was done.
"Things were first noticed when the oldest daughter was a little girl and drew a picture which caused suspicion at school. But the dad pulled her out of school after that and moved the family away - that's what he did whenever anyone said anything.
"They were always moving around whenever anyone got close and he thought the dirty secret would get out."
Her husband added: "My mother - the girls' grandmother - told South Yorkshire Police about this time and again.
"I know that my sister - the girls' mother - was visited by police at her home after she left the area and they talked to her about the claims but again nothing happened."
The family claims that before sexual abuse was reported, allegations of violence and neglect were also made to the police.
They said the oldest girl's school became suspicious about the upbringing of the children when she would turn up for lessons hungry and covered in bruises aged around 10.
And the family said the deputy headteacher sent a letter voicing concerns home to an aunt, who also had a child at the school, and she called police.
The family said police were also involved 30 years ago when the youngest daughter was around five, and was taken to hospital with a broken leg.
The sister-in-law claimed the injury was caused by her father throwing her down the stairs.
And in 1988, following the birth of the oldest daughter's first child, the family said the girl's grandmother told police the baby had been fathered by the girl's dad.
Officers had been called to the house to allow the father to reprieve his possessions - but when the grandmother made the allegation to them, she was told she could be sued for slander.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "The incest allegations have been rigorously and thoroughly investigated, supported by the Sheffield Safeguarding Children's Board and partner agencies.
"An independent review has been announced by Sheffield Council into the circumstances, examining the work of agencies involved. South Yorkshire Police will support the review. It would be inappropriate to comment further."
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
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