Social workers 'knew for two years handicapped woman had been raped'

SOCIAL workers knew a severely handicapped woman had been raped more than two years before the case came to light, according to fresh allegations made last night.

The claims, made by an anonymous source to a Scottish Nationalist MSP, Christine Grahame, are being passed to the police and to the Social Work Services Inspectorate (SWSI), the government agency already investigating the so-called Miss X case.

According to Ms Grahame, her source, who has direct knowledge of the case, says Scottish Borders Council’s social work department was in possession of a signed confession of rape from James Mercer long before Miss X was admitted to hospital in March 2002 suffering from 71 separate injuries inflicted by him.

Mercer was jailed for ten years by Lord Dawson in the High Court last September after he admitted torturing and abusing the 30-year-old woman in a flat in the central Borders. Miss X had known Mercer and went to stay in the flat he shared with a girlfriend - known as Miss Y.

The court heard how the woman slept on the hall floor, and Mercer took her benefit money to pay for drinking sprees.

There have already been several inquiries into the case, and Borders social work managers have been roundly criticised in reports presented to the council.

But although the investigations found the department failed to protect Miss X from a catalogue of abuse, there has been no disciplinary action taken against any members of staff.

As well as the SWSI inquiry, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is looking into the case, and services for vulnerable adults in the Borders have been scrutinised by Peter Bates, the chairman of NHS Tayside. His findings are due to be presented to councillors next week.

Ms Grahame, who has repeatedly called for strong action against those deemed to have been responsible for Miss X’s suffering, previously received damning information from ten whistle-blowers who sent her a dossier of evidence alleging bullying and harassment inside the social work department.

She said last night that she had passed the information supplied by the new source to David Hume, the council’s chief executive.

"The disturbing information was passed to me yesterday by a source who also told me the council’s social work department will still be in possession of the confession," Ms Grahame said.

She added: "According to the source, the information which relates to Mercer and his relationships with Miss X and Miss Y had been concealed.

"The source claims that Miss Y had a child to Mercer some time in 1999 which, within 40 minutes of birth, was removed and has now been adopted. The drastic action was taken because of serious concerns for the child’s welfare, including the existence of the signed confession by Mercer that he had raped Miss X."

In the view of Ms Grahame, a list MSP for the South of Scotland, the information passed to her raised extremely serious issues including the fact that Miss X was allowed to stay with Mercer despite the alleged existence of an admission of rape.

In a statement last night, Mr Hume said he had received a letter and news release from Ms Grahame late yesterday afternoon.

He said: "The allegations she makes are of a very serious nature and I will be passing her letter to Lothian and Borders police and the Social Work Services Inspectorate for them to consider and act on as appropriate."

Mr Hume revealed that he had also asked for a response to the allegations from the director of lifelong care, Colin Johnson, and from the head of the interagency child protection unit, Philip Gibson.

"The council does not believe that any information concerning this case has been concealed," said Mr Hume. "All of the information held by the council concerning this case, including all of the case files, has already been made available to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland and the SWSI."