Suspected child abuse cases soar

Published on Saturday 21 November 2009 20:00

THE number of investigations into the neglect and abuse of children under the age of two have risen 10 per cent in two years, it emerged yesterday.

New research shows the cases of more than 5,600 babies and toddlers are being examined. In the past two years the number of under two-year-olds referred is said to have increased from 5,070 to 5,651.

The study by the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) showed that two-thirds of the children were living with parents addicted to drugs or alcohol and three-quarters of their parents had a history of offending.

The backgrounds of 50 babies referred from different parts of the country were analysed.

The SCRA report found that many of the parents were unemployed and more than half of the children's parents had mental health problems.

It also found 20 per cent had a parent who had been sent to prison and 10 per cent of their fathers had been charged with sexual offences.