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The European court of human rights has ordered that three Scottish sisters and their brother receive a payout totalling £57,000 following neglect by social workers, writes Nicola Barry.

The court ruled that the family from Dumfries suffered psychological damage due to social workers' failure to protect them from their mother's abusive partner.

The three sisters, now aged 42, 39 and 37, were sexually abused as children and their brother, now 41, was physically beaten and intimidated.

The European court of human rights in Strasbourg said they suffered "inhuman and degrading treatment" as children because Dumfries and Galloway regional council’s social work department, was aware the man had been convicted of sexually assaulting two of the girls, but failed to ensure he stayed away from their home.

Dumfries and Galloway council is the successor to Dumfrieshire county council and Dumfries and Galloway regional council, which have been found to have failed in their statutory duty to the family concerned during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Speaking for the former administrations, chief social work officer Keith Makin said: "We sincerely regret the abuse that members of this family suffered.

"Current practice is very different," Mr Makin told Community Care. "The system has been completely overhauled, and many more safeguards are in place to protect children in circumstances such as these."