Woman Taken From Family In £100,000 Claim For Negligence

A report into Scotland’s most notorious child sex abuse scandal has concluded that Orkney Islands Council was negligent and an eight-year-old girl should not have been taken into care, The Scotsman has learned.

The child, now an adult, is demanding £100,000 compensation, claiming her childhood was destroyed when she was taken away from her family by social services.

The landmark case is being brought by May Willsher, 24, who was removed from her family home by social workers in November 1990. The following year, a further nine children were snatched in dawn raids from their South Ronaldsay homes and taken into local authority care.

It was alleged that the children, aged between eight and 15 at the time, had been the victims of ritual abuse, and that there was a paedophile ring operating on the island. A sheriff ruled later that the evidence was seriously flawed and the children were returned home.

A summary of the confidential report, seen by The Scotsman, refers to a catalogue of alleged mistakes on the part of the council. The author, described as an expert in social work, is critical of the standard of care and the council’s failure to adopt recommendations made in the light of the Cleveland child abuse enquiry.

It is claimed those carrying out the children’s interviews lacked knowledge and experience and there was no proper recording of the interviews. Crucially, the report summary says there was a lack of willingness to believe what the children seemed to be saying – that they had not been abused.

The expert raises concerns about “poor standards of practice” and it is understood there are no records in relation to Ms Willsher at all for the period of February 1987-9.

Last night the woman’s lawyer, Cameron Fyfe, said that if a financial settlement could not be reached, he would proceed with an action for damages at the Court of Session.

“We instructed an expert social worker who considers that there was negligence on the part of Orkney Islands Council.

“We have now intimated a claim for compensation to the council and have asked them if there is any room for negotiation at this stage.”

Ms Willsher, who now lives in England, has always maintained that she was the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous social workers.

“We kept telling them that we had not been abused, but they wouldn’t listen. The interview techniques used were designed to break us down.”

A judicial inquiry by Lord Clyde criticised social workers, police and child care agencies.

Sheriff David Kelbie, who threw out the original case, said the children had been subjected to cross-examinations designed to make them admit to being abused.

Ms Willsher has always insisted that no abuse took place on Orkney. She remains deeply critical of the interview techniques, and said she was under intense pressure from social workers to give them the “evidence” they wanted.