Tusla rape case staff still work for Agency
Foster home from hell report shock
TUSLA staff responsible for leaving children in a foster home from hell where three girls were raped are still working for the Child and Family Agency, it has emerged.
The revelation forms part of leaks from a damning report about the handling of sex abuse against the girls, aged under 10, in a property in Dunmore, Galway, between 2003 and 2007.
Tusla service director Dr Aisling Gillen yesterday confirmed some employees who were aware of the allegations are still working with the agency.
She said: “A number of those are still in the system.
“Basically what we are trying to do is layer in significant practice change, significant cultural change and the handling of all of this work.
“They [staff] are there, they are now in a climate with sufficient staff, where staff there are national policies and local policies in place over the handling of abuse of children.”
The investigation, led by the National Review Panel, came about after one of the victims, Rachel Barry, waived her right to anonymity to reveal she was regularly raped by monster Keith Burke.
He is the son of her then foster parents Kathleen and Gerry Burke.
Ms Barry was just eight years old when the sexual abuse began.
But despite revealing she had been raped and claiming another girl in the home had been too, children were allowed to continue to be fostered in the Galway house.
Several years later, two other female victims who had been in the home revealed they too had been regularly raped by Keith. The 30-year-old was caged last year after being found guilty of raping the three victims.
Dr Gillen told RTE Radio One: “I am absolutely assured that in our current handling of allegations of abuse against children in foster care we are very robust in response. Our focus is children first.
“I believe Tusla is fit for purpose, I am very clear we are working towards much better standards and practices. We are not perfect but we are absolutely addressing the issues we see in front of us.”
The 22-page report into the handling of the abuse outlined there were “flaws in management” by the HSE and Tusla. It found the assessment of the Burke family to check if they were suitable to foster was “brief ” and “lacked detail”. Despite Ms Barry disclosing she had been sexually abused while in the Burke home, the family were never again reviewed by services while they still had children in their care.
The report concludes by stating management involved “failed to recognise the seriousness” of the initial allegation and “failed to respond proportionately”.
Number of children under age of 10 who were raped by Keith Burke
Keith Burke