Chapter 15 — Foster care

Sexual abuse

Witnesses described being sexually abused within the foster homes, in fields, farm buildings and in local business premises. Sexual abuse was frequently reported in combination with physical abuse that was believed to have been used as a threat against the disclosure of sexual abuse and as a component of the sexual abuse. A witness reported the following account of sexual abuse when she was approximately 10 years old: I’m in the kitchen with ...foster father... and he starts fixing the curtains and makes sure no one can see in and I’m thinking “what’s he doing that for?” ... Next thing he picks me up and puts me on the table and takes me knickers off. ... I’ll never forget his eyes, they were all glassy ... (witness described penetrative assault) ... and I say “you’re hurting me”. ... And he stops and he puts me knickers back on and he takes me off the table and he says “don’t tell your mother, you know what she’s like” and I says to myself “what was all that about?”

Twelve (12) witnesses reported being sexually abused as young children by male foster family members. Each of these witnesses reported being abused on a regular basis in their own beds, elsewhere within the foster home, when taken for walks or while engaged in farm work. They described being raped, violently assaulted, and exposed to pornography and images of bestiality. If he ...(foster parents’ biological son)... was in bed of a Sunday, she’d ...(foster mother)... send me down to call him. He’d... (digital penetration described)... and I remember I was bleeding, and I was afraid and I didn’t know what to do. ... He used to say to me “if you say anything you will be taken back to a Home” ...distressed.... • I woke up with him... (foster father)... in the bed with me and he had penetrated me with his fingers and I was very sore, I tried to scream but nothing would come out.... He warned me not to say anything, that he’d kill me if I did. • Her son...(foster mother’s biological son)...he did pornography, I now know what it is, I didn’t then... and all the locals used to come for the stuff...it was animals and humans he did....

One witness reported she was sexually abused by a workman on the farm where she was also abused by the foster parents’ son. Another witness reported being sexually abused from the age of approximately five years, and described abuse that progressed from fondling to digital penetration and progressed to full intercourse when she was seven years old. This witness reported being sexually abused by both her foster father and foster brother, and believed that her foster father encouraged his adolescent son to abuse her to deflect attention from his own abuse of her at the same time.

Six (6) witnesses reported their belief that their sexual abuse by male family members was tolerated, if not encouraged, by the foster mother. Three (3) witnesses believed that their foster parents condoned and facilitated sexual abuse by their sons, one of whom was an adult. Four (4) of the witnesses reported being sexually abused when their foster mothers were absent from the home either working or visiting relatives. Everything was for ...named foster brother.... There was luxuries bought for ...X... because he was out working and I wasn’t. ...Foster mother... would go out and leave me there on me own with him. ... He’d start doing things like tucking me dress into me knickers, he was 16 then. ... His face was so red. ... He’d have biscuits hidden in the room and he’d give me the biscuits and I’d just stand there and I’d be eating the biscuits and he’d be doing all this to me. Although he was doing this ... a strange feeling comes over you because you know it’s wrong, you know what he’s doing is wrong but you can do nothing about it because you’re not in control, he’s in control. Your mind just moves away from it, you’re kind of a zombie in other words. Then when we’re in the house on our own he starts making me undress ... and he’s there all the time and I wake-up in the morning he’s on top of me. ... He’d have a fist up to my face ... threatening me ...(to stay quiet).... • The auld fella ...(foster father)... never stopped pulling himself ...(masturbating).... He’d come in drunk and start chasing you around the house wanting to kiss you. ... It was revolting. ... She ...(foster mother)... would think it was just a bit of fun, but it wasn’t, it was dirt. ... It suited her ...(that his attention was diverted)....

Three (3) witnesses reported being sexually abused by male adults from the local community who they believed were aware that they were foster children. All three witnesses reported being fearful that disclosure of their abuse would result in them being removed from foster homes where they were otherwise happy. The witnesses commented on their fear of being returned to the institutions where they had previously resided and where they reported being subjected to more pervasive abuse.

Another witness reported being moved from a Children’s Home where she had been sexually abused by a visiting priest. The same priest subsequently visited the foster home where she had been transferred and he continued to abuse her there.

Three (3) witnesses, two of whom were male and one was female, described inappropriate sleeping arrangements in the foster placements where they shared beds with male adults who sexually abused them.

There were consistent accounts from four female witnesses of being sexually abused on a regular basis by the foster fathers in two foster homes over many years. The witnesses were placed in the foster homes as toddlers. All four witnesses reported being forced to spend lengthy periods of time working in the fields and farmyards with their foster fathers who routinely sexually abused them by fondling and masturbation and in two instances by digital penetration and rape. The witnesses also reported being subjected to severe physical abuse by both their foster parents.

The 15 witnesses reported being sexually abused while in foster care by 18 individuals, 17 male and one female. Thirteen (13) of the reported abusers were identified by name and the other five were referred to by there status as foster parent, workman or other.

Five (5) witnesses reported being sexually abused by more than one individual in their foster care placements. One witness reported being sexually abused by both a foster mother and her son. Eight (8) witnesses reported sexual abuse perpetrated by six foster fathers and by four biological sons of foster care providers. I used to think that sexual abuse meant rape. I didn’t understand, I thought I was bad and that it only happened to me. He ... (foster parents’ son)... used to maul...(my)... private parts. ... If she ... (foster mother)... was going off he’d say to leave me...(at home)... he wanted me to do things, she’d say to stay at home, there was work to be done. He’d abuse me every opportunity he got.

Six (6) of the 15 witnesses reported being sexually abused by eight male adults who were members of the local community or others who were not members of the foster family household. They included a local youth, workman, neighbour, shop-keeper, priest, and relatives of the foster parents. The witnesses encountered these men when they were sent for messages to local shops or were unsupervised, either in the foster homes or in other locations in the community.

Neglect

Failure to care for the child which results, or could reasonably be expected to result, in serious impairment of the physical or mental health or development of the child or serious adverse effects on his or her behaviour or welfare.3 Witnesses reported that their care was neglected at many levels both by the actions and inactions of those who had a duty of care for their welfare They reported neglect both while in foster care and in the process by which foster families were selected and supervised.

The main areas of neglect reported by 17 witnesses were; the inappropriate placement of children with foster parents who were unable to meet their developmental and social needs, the subsequent absence of supervision of the foster care placements, neglect of bodily integrity, lack of adequate food and clothing, neglect of education and inappropriate work. A further area of neglect reported by witnesses in this group was the lack of provision made for their future and the failure to provide aftercare or transitional support from the age of 16 years.

Fifteen (15) witnesses reported having to work for their foster parents, in 10 instances on the family farm caring for animals, cleaning farm buildings, working in the fields, cutting and drawing timber, turf and hay, and carrying water. This work was reported to have taken precedence over other activities, particularly school attendance. Ten (10) witnesses reported being responsible for a large share of the housework in the foster homes including cooking, sewing, cleaning and carrying water. Five (5) witnesses reported being sent to work for neighbouring farmers and the relatives of their foster parents as ‘hired help’, but received no payment. Physically having to work so hard, we weren’t big.... It seemed like it was always freezing cold, snow and frost.... In winter ... sawing down trees, in the midst of him ...(foster father)... hurling abuse.... The memory of dragging what seemed like trees across fields to the back garden and then sawing them down to logs.... • We cut wood everyday when we came home from school and in the summer holidays we went felling.... They felled the trees and I was always considered a man in relation to the cross cut... (saw)... You would always be up to your knees in water and you had to saw... and trim the tree and it had to be cut up and brought back... and got ready... for the people who wanted it....Every Saturday you took the wood to town...the school holidays were taken up with this...

Eleven (11) witnesses reported on the lack of education they were afforded through being kept out of school to work at household or farm chores. A number of the witnesses commented on the fact that education was generally regarded as a low priority by their foster parents. School ... was a very difficult time ... the worst thing was not being allowed to do homework.... I would be trying to do it on the side of the road.... I wanted to be educated.... I managed to scrape through the Primary Cert and I took home this certificate, and was so proud of it. I remember her ...(foster mother)... holding it up and ceremoniously tearing it, ripping it up ... and threw it straight in the fire.