Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Child abuse scandal resurfaces

Michael Streeter
Sunday 25 May 1997 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The great majority of children in the Cleveland child-abuse scandal of a decade ago were abused, a controversial television documentary will claim tomorrow night.

The Death of Childhood, on Channel 4, will also state that independent experts under the guidance of the Department of Health later found that at least 70 per cent of the diagnoses made by the much-criticised paediatricians Marietta Higgs and Geoffrey Wyatt had been correct.

It reports that 93 of the 121 children at the centre of the affair had been found by the courts to be at risk of abuse, and that just two years after the original controversy, when all but 27 of the children returned to their homes, a number of the children had been referred again to social services.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in