‘What about
RAPE victim Sammy Woodhouse says she fears she would have lashed out and “become the criminal” had she been forced to come face-to-face with her abuser after council officials secretly offered him the chance to apply for custody of her son.
Ms Woodhouse was left stunned during care proceedings over the teenager to be told that rapist Arshid “Mad Ash” Hussain – the ringleader of the gang at the heart of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal – had been contacted by social workers and offered the chance to apply for parental rights from his prison cell.
Last night the shell-shocked Ms Woodhouse demanded “heads must now finally roll” at Rotherham Council as she told how she believes she would have reacted in fury had she discovered Hussain at the procedural care hearing.
Ms Woodhouse told how it was only when she attended court that she was told by a social worker from Rotherham Council that: “He’s not coming?”
Stunned she realised they were talking about the man who raped her as a 14-year-old the male social worker admitted: “I didn’t tell you before because I knew that you’d be ****** off”.
Attacks
The furious mother exploded in rage and told the social worker if it went any further she would “phone Theresa May”.
She added: “I don’t have Mrs May’s number, but I’d have done anything I could.
“What if he had been there and I had had to sit next to him?
“I have no idea how I would have reacted. It could have ended up with me getting into trouble and becoming the criminal had I lashed out.”
Ms Woodhouse, who is now campaigning for a law change to prevent rapists having rights over children they father through their attacks, said despite 1,400 children being abused in Rotherham “no professionals have ever been held to account”.
She has now demanded action after the Labour-run authority told Hussain, 43, he could seek parental rights over their teenage son – even though he has been jailed for 35 years.
Ms Woodhouse told the Daily Express her 17-year-old son had initially been “seduced” by the prospect of visiting the rapist behind bars after social workers had planted the idea in his head, and thought he could gain “all the answers by meeting him”.
Hussain refused the opportunity and the boy now insists he “wants nothing to do with him ever”.
Ms Woodhouse put her son into care in 2014 due to her failing mental health and last year – despite his conviction – Hussain was told he could make a claim for custody of the boy as the care order was due to terminate.
That would have allowed Hussain to dictate from his cell where the boy lived and make key decisions about his upbringing.
Ms Woodhouse added: “This is
‘They’ve handed my son on a plate to a rapist’
not just an error by an individual social worker, this goes all the way to the top of the council. There were legal teams involved, there were courts involved – there is not just one social worker involved. They need to be held to account – they are ruining lives.
“Despite everything, no professional has ever been held to account for the masses of failings. Thousands of children were raped and have now had their children taken away.
“As a rape victim I have to wake up every morning and fight for something. Yet all I get from them is: ‘He has got human rights’. Well what about our human rights?
“They should’ve fought for that child. What they’ve done is hand my son over on a plate to a rapist.’
Drug-dealing taxi firm boss Hussain was 24-years-old when he began grooming the promising schoolgirl from a normal home who admits she was “captivated” by sports-car driving Hussain.
But the relationship became toxic as he plied her with drink and drugs before systematically raping and abusing her. Her desperate parents pleaded for help but were ignored by the authorities who feared they would be branded racist by taking action against the gangs of Asian paedophiles running amok in the town.
Hussain was jailed for 35 years at Sheffield Crown Court in November 2016 for a catalogue of rapes and related abuse offences.
A spokesman for Rotherham Council said that it could not disclose information relating to proceedings hearing in the Family Court, adding: “Like all councils we must comply with legal requirements, including practice directions. That would include giving notice of proceedings to parents with or without formal parental responsibility.
“Often and understandably, cases before the Family Court are emotive and arouse strong feelings amongst those affected.
“We do understand that the legal requirements can cause upset to those involved and so we welcome a debate around this issue.”
A Ministry of Justice statement said: “This is obviously a very distressing incident and the relevant