Child Abuse

21 February 2022

Dear 

ATISN 15961 – Rhondda Cynon Taff Borough Council Child Abuse

Thank you for your request to the Welsh Government for information under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) received on 13 January 2022.  You have requested the following: 

1. Has the Welsh Government felt it serious enough to ask for an explanation?
2. If ‘yes’ did the Welsh Government question officers and leaders of this borough council?
3. Is there an on-going inquiry?
4. What has the Welsh Government done to discover the causes of this astonishing abuse?
5. How many of these babies were sexually assaulted?
6. How many of these babies were raped?
7. How many of these babies were involved in sexual acts for photographs and video sales to paedophiles all over the world?
8. Were any of these babies - even one - taken to covens and used in witchcraft?
9. Can the Welsh Government categorically rule out that even one of these babies was deliberately produced to be hired out to paedophiles to make a lot of money?
10. Will the Welsh Government please provide two examples of the worst cases involving babies and young children, which would be published with no location?
11. What range of injuries did these babies and young children suffer?
12. Did any need medical and hospital treatment?
13. Did any die?

Our Response

1. The Welsh Government does not hold any information on a specific request to Rhondda Cynon Taff to provide an explanation of the number of children on the Child Protection Register. The Welsh Government collects data from local authorities on the exercise of their functions under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014. This is published on an annual basis in Social Services activity | GOV.WALES with the latest data for 2020-21 available in more detail on StatsWales.  
2. The Welsh Government does not hold any information on a specific request to Rhondda Cynon Taff to provide an explanation of the number of children on the Child Protection Register.
3. Care Inspectorate Wales register, inspect and take action to improve the quality and safety of services for the well-being of the people of Wales. This includes monitoring the operation of local authority Children’s Social Services. Care Inspectorate Wales publish their reports online Local authority inspection and review reports | Care Inspectorate Wales. Care Inspectorate Wales undertake an annual performance review of Social Services in each local authority in Wales. 
4. Children placed on the Child Protection Register are registered after a statutory process is followed including formal multi-agency enquiries into the circumstances of individual children and young people where there are concerns that there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, abuse, neglect or harm. This process is set out in statutory guidance Safeguarding children at risk of abuse or neglect | GOV.WALES
5. At 31 March 2019 there were 25 children registered on the Child Protection Register in Rhondda Cynon Taff because of sexual abuse (only). Twenty of these children were aged between 5 and 15 years old. Figures are rounded to the nearest five and where there are less than five children in any age group the actual numbers are suppressed to minimise the risk of disclosure. Children on child protection register by local authority, category of abuse and age group (gov.wales)
6. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested. 
7. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested. 
8. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested. 
9. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested. 
10. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested.
11. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested. 
12. The Welsh Government does not hold information on individual cases of abuse of children in the way requested. 
13. Information on the death of children who were subject to Child Protection Registration of a given age and in a given local authority would allow for the identification of individual children. When children die unexpectedly a formal process is followed in Wales  Table of Contents (wales.nhs.uk).  

Next Steps

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at: 

Information Rights Unit, 
Welsh Government,
Cathays Park, 
Cardiff, 
CF10 3NQ 
or Email:  Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above. 
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: 

Information Commissioner’s Office, 
Wycliffe House, 
Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, 
Cheshire, 
SK9 5AF

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely,