Register abusers call

Fred West: Died in prison. The British Association of Social
Workers is calling for a register of convicted abusers in the light
of the West case.

It also wants local authorities to provide after-care for care
leavers to prevent them being exploited. Local authorities need a
better system for tracing young runaways and contacting children
who have left care, says BASW.

The association wants the appropriate adult role bound by a
stricter code of confidentiality following the revelation that Fred
West’s appropriate adult Janet Leitch, plans to sell her story to a
newspaper.

Barnardo’s senior director Roger Singleton said a national
missing persons register would be a crucial step in preventing
young people falling through the net.

‘Although the events took place several years ago, we have to
question whether current statutory arrangements are good enough to
prevent anything of the kind happening again,’ he said.