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British Fritzl warnings ignored by authorities

By Natalia Lubomirski on Thursday 11 March 2010

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Josef Fritzl, World News

Two sisters who were repeatedly raped by their own father for 30 years received an unreserved apology from the authorities that failed to save them from years of horrific abuse.

The father of the two women who had subjected them to years of beatings and rapes - fathering seven children with them - is now languishing in jail after being sentenced for his crimes in November 2008. However this does not make amends for the horrific ordeal endured by the two sisters, which the authorities failed to protect them from.

Now in a formal review it has been revealed that the family had contact with 28 different agencies in Sheffield and Lincolnshire, and 100 members of staff over the 35 years, yet no significant action was taken. Even family members reported seven cases of the father's abuse but still the authorities failed to help.

This case of abuse, which draws eerie comparisons with that of Joseph Fritzl who incarcerated his daughter Elisabeth in his cellar and repeatedly raped her for 24 years, is one the of the most horrific reported in decades.

It has been revealed that the two girls had been on the Child Protection Register for ten years, with the social services supposedly monitoring them after they were made aware of the continuing allegations. Why then had the authorities failed to step in. Judge Alan Goldsack QC said questions would inevitably be asked as to what these professionals had "been doing for the last 20 years."

Sue Fiennes, chairman of the Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board apologised and said: "It is clear we failed this family." She continued by criticising the care workers involved, describing it as a "collective failure."

Because of this "collective failure", however, with over 100 care workers to blame it means that nobody involved with the family has been sacked or disciplined.

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Thursday 11 March 2010

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My heart goes out to these women - sadly abuse is still happening every day and children are not being given the protection that they deserve. Why cant a national computer system be set whereby info is logged and then everyone can access? Or is this too simple a suggestion?
Comment by Dawn on March 11 13:15