Their hands
Each time he screamscreamed for help there was no one to tuturn to
FOSTER boy James McCourt killed himself after council officials put him in the care of paedophiles, his horrified mum revealed yesterday. James ended his life aged just 30 after being unable to live with searing memories of the abuse he suffered from two suspected sex perverts. His mum Kathy Johnson claims council officials have blood on their hands and insisted: “They are responsible for his death.” Kathy, 73, found out about her son’s nightmare experience in Lambeth, south London, after documents about his case were uncovered by a survivors’ rights group. The disturbing evidence will now be presented to the nationwide inquiry into historic sexual abuse of children in the UK. In 1982 James was fostered at the age of 11 by a teacher named John Michell who, four years earlier, had been sacked for gross misconduct for sexually assaulting three boys. He was then sent to live with a suspected paedophile who cannot be named for legal reasons. Official documents obtained by the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association showed L Lambeth a mbeth c ouncil ou n c i l officials were aware the men were abusers. They even paid Michell thousands to teach James at his home in Cornwall despite concerns having been raised by police, probation and the NSPCC. And as recently as this year the council was denying it had ever employed Michell. Mum Kathy said: “They are lying through their teeth.” And James’s sister Liz McCourt, 53, said: “If Lambeth hadn’t employed these people then my brother would never have died. Even today they know they are culpable but they are still making people who have suffered half their lives wait for justice.” The survivors’ association has found minutes of a 1999 council strategy meeting held to discuss James’s case. It said: “There is a strong possibility abuse took place.
“Much of James’ behaviour is indicative of a sexually abused child.
“There is substantial evidence Michell was a dangerous paedophile and the placement of James with him was of high risk.”
Survivors’ spokesman Raymond Stevenson said: “We are the custodians of information that has revealed some of the most heinous crimes on care children and the story of James McCourt is both typical and unique.
“Through investigating his life in care we learned each time he screamed for help there was no one there to turn to.
Silenced
“That eventually led to him taking his life.There are people out there that know they failed him and we refuse to let his voice be silenced by lies.” James’s father disappeared when he was a baby and His mum couldn’t cope. He was moved 42 times between 16 different institutions and carers between the ages of two and 13. He absconded 24 times in four months in 1983, back to his mother’s house in Liverpool as well as to Birmingham and London. Court papers reveal he was targeted by a third notorious paedophile during this period. Teacher Michell met James at Lancaster House home near Reading, Berks, in 1979 and took special interest in the 10-yearold, social services papers reveal. Michell died aged 70 in 2000. James killed himself in Highpoint prison in Suffolk where he was serving time for affray. A prison report shortly before he died said he was going to give evidence against the paedophiles. But it added: “Does not want to attend, does not want to carry on.” Abuse in Lambeth was covered up for years and will be among a string of scandals considered by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse led by Professor Alexis Jay, a former social worker. The Hillsborough-style probe was set up following the scandal of decades of abuse by BBC presenter Jimmy Savile.
Terrible
A Lambeth council spokesman admitted: “Terrible abuse occurred at Lambeth children’s homes prior to their closure in the 1980s and 1990s.
“The current leader has made a full and genuine apology.
“Because of the harm many children suffered we have developed a redress scheme for survivors and secured £100million for compensation those who were so very badly let down by the system. The redress scheme has been extended to include children who were placed with foster parents directly from a Lambeth children’s home.
“James McCourt’s family would be able to apply for compensation under the Lambeth Children’s Homes Redress Scheme.”