Children at centre of Glasgow sex abuse ring ‘failed’, says minister

The children at the centre of one of Scotland’s biggest child sex abuse rings were “failed”, the children’s minister has said.

Natalie Don-Innes described the case as “horrifying” and said she is confident lessons can be learned.

Seven members of the child abuse ring in Glasgow were given life-long sentences in the form of orders for lifelong restriction on Monday and told they may never be released.

Three young children were subjected to sexual abuse and violence over a seven-year period in a drug den named “the beastie house”.

Children suffered “unimaginable abuse”, police said, including gang rape, attempted murder and assault.

Questions have been raised about why authorities allowed the crimes to go on for so long, despite signs of abuse and absences from school.

Alba MSP Ash Regan lodged an urgent question on Tuesday asking the Scottish Government whether child safeguarding in Scotland had failed, in light of Monday’s convictions.

The children’s minister told her: “Keeping children safe is our utmost priority. The news from yesterday’s trial is horrific, and my thoughts are with the children who have suffered such abhorrent abuse.

“No sentence can take away their suffering. However, the perpetrators have only been brought to justice because of the bravery of their victims coming forward.

“All of us are understandably shocked when we hear about such terrible crimes and I welcome the news that an independently-led case learning review is under way in line with national guidance to ensure that child protection in Scotland is as robust as it can be and that all learning is acted upon.”

Ms Regan said the case “reeks of institutional failures” and added: “These children were on the child protection register, yet they were failed.

“These children were known to agencies with a duty of care to protect them, yet they were failed.

“These children were chronically absent from school, yet they were failed.

“And these children showed blatant signs of neglect, yet they were failed.

“The Scottish Government has presided over this catastrophic failure at every single level. Minister, are the children of Scotland safe?”

She added: “A child’s background, a child’s behaviour and a child’s perceived social status must never impact on how they are protected in a civilised society.

“The mere fact that they are children must be enough.”

Ms Don-Innes said that, as a mother, the case “horrified” her and added “there is no getting away from the fact that these children were failed”.

Ms Regan, along with Labour and the Tories, expressed concerns the Scottish Government is not acting with the urgency needed to ensure such crimes do not happen again.

The children’s minister said a task force is being created to identify what can be done to protect children from harm online while a child sexual abuse and exploitation group will give advice on what actions can be taken to keep children safe.

She said she was happy to meet with MSPs to discuss any further action.

Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said “we must have some answers now” and “not in a year’s time”. She asked how authorities could have missed years of abuse.

She said: “I ask the minister if anything can be done to give some preliminary answers now because if we are expected to wait longer than this, then, I do not really see how the minister can say that she is satisfied that all Scotland children can in fact, or are, in fact, protected.”

Ms Don-Inness said the Scottish Government is “doing its best” to ensure such crimes cannot happen again and pointed to the review in Glasgow currently under way.

Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said there was “nothing urgent” about the children minister’s response to MSPs.

Ms Don-Inness said she was happy to look at what urgent action can be taken ahead of the Glasgow-led review.

Iain Owens, 46; Elaine Lannery, 40; Lesley Williams, 43; Paul Brannan, 42; Scott Forbes, 51; Barry Watson, 48; and John Clark, 48, were convicted in November 2023 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

The two women and five men were all convicted of gang raping a child and abusing other children in a drugs den in Glasgow where heroin and crack cocaine were used, and were given sentences of between 20 years and eight years in jail before they can apply for parole.

Four of the group: Owens, Lannery, Brannan and Williams, were found guilty of attempting to murder a child by pushing her into a microwave and trapping her in other places.

Orders for lifelong restriction involve monitoring high-risk offenders for the rest of their lives if they are deemed suitable for release from prison after serving a minimum punishment period.