What child abuse scandal happened in middlesbrough in the 1980's?....?

Question

i saw this posted on one question and would like to know

since i am from middlesbrough yet i have never heard anythig about it

thanks

Answer 1

Go to the archives of the Evening Gazette, I'm sure they'll still have the clippings.

Yes, a couple of social workers started taking away children from their parents in the area. You'll have to read the articles to see what happened.

Answer 2

I remember this quite well as I live in this area. It was not just Middlesbrough but Cleveland generally.

A paediatrician called Marietta Higgs had been on a course where it was explained to her that a reflex called anal dilatation can be a sign of abuse in children. On returning to work, she began to look for this in every child she examined and found it in almost all of them. What she had not taken in on the course was the fact that this reflex can also occurr naturally and frequently due to constipation and several other non abusive reasons, it is not a definitive sign of abuse.

She was supported by a fellow doctor called Geoffrey Wyatt and an over enthusiastic social worker called Sue something or other, and between them they managed to have over 100 children removed from their parents. The clamour got so great that the authorities had to step in, it was beyond reason that every child in the county was being abused. Higgs even examined children that had been taken into care on her say so and said that they were still being abused while in care.

An enquiry headed by Lady Justice Butler Sloss was set up and most of the children were returned home. Higgs was allowed to still practice as a doctor but banned from treating children. she moved out of the area, but not long ago a newspaper article said that she still maintained that she had been in the right. Some people never learn apparently.

There is still a great deal of anger and bitterness about this up here.

Answer 3

If I remember rightly it was a do-gooder social worker (by the name of Higgs, I believe) who liked peering up kids' bums and decided that a load of them had been abused. So they were snatched from their parents. This then went quiet so it's probably been hushed up. She didn't actually seem to consider that kids sometimes mess around with each other.

Answer 4

loads of kids got took into care thousands of them,on false accusations by social services,loads of them ended up in prison where they are still suffering today because of been introduced to the system wrongly,also except being a port,that's probables one of the main reasons WHY90%of the world trade in HEROIN comes from tee side and 10%afghanistan,to numb the years of abuse and pain.

Answer 5

It was known as the Cleveland child s*x abuse scandal

see link for details:

http://www.childrenuk.co.uk/choct2002/ch...