Rape could not have been predicted, ACPC finds

The actions of a 13-year-old boy who raped his teacher could not
have been predicted, a child protection committee has concluded,
writes Simeon Brody.

The boy was detained for life and placed on the sex
offenders’ register indefinitely in March, following the
attack last November.

An independent report commissioned by Gateshead Area Child
Protection Committee reveals the boy, who suffered abuse himself
before going into care, was considered at high risk of sexually
abusing other children.

But it says neither psychological assessments nor his previous
conduct indicated that adult women were at risk. The report adds
there is no “scientifically validated procedure for
accurately predicting the level of sexual risk in young
people”.

The report identifies failings in foster placements, saying
children with additional needs should be placed with foster carers
with the training and experience to deal with them.

It also recommends multi-disciplinary training for carers and
professionals looking after children at risk of sexually or
physically abusing others, and calls for improved risk assessment
and management.

The area child protection committee has accepted all the
recommendations and is planning to draw up an action plan to
implement them and share them with other ACPCs.

The report, written by barrister Ian Kennerley, says the boy
“had been the victim of gross sexual abuse and whose
understanding of normal and acceptable behaviour had been so
distorted that he posed a risk to both himself and other
children”.