Abuser’s victims tell of ‘ongoing nightmare’ after damning report

Victims of a serial abuser have spoken of their“ongoing nightmare” after an inquiry found allegations made against the social worker were ignored.

Sean Bell’s first wife Elaine Samson, second wife Tricia Bell and stepdaughter through his second marriage, Emma Barrie, said they welcomed the findings of the Tanner report.

The report found two senior Edinburgh City Council officials were guilty of a “dereliction of duty” in failing to investigate allegations against the social worker, who was found dead at the foot of Salisbury Crags in August, 2020. He is understood to have taken his own life.

The victims said: “Sean Bell was a predatory, controlling, serial abuser – sexually, physically, emotionally and psychologically. His actions devastated the lives of so many – particularly women – over decades. It has been an ongoing nightmare.”

The three women, who all suffered at the hands of Bell, have waived their anonymity following the publication of the report of senior QC Susanne Tanner’s investigation, which criticised Alistair Gaw, the city’s former education director, and Andy Jeffries, who was a senior manager in the children and families department, both of whom have now resigned from their roles.

It said that there were several occasions when serious acts of impropriety by Bell were reported to officials and added that, where an investigation should have been launched into an alleged assault by Bell on a colleague in the 2010s, both Mr Gaw and Mr Jeffries decided to take no action.

The report said: “It was a dereliction of duty on their part, compounded by the fact that, as vastly experienced social workers themselves, they really should have known better.”

And it added Bell’s inappropriate behaviour appeared to be an "open secret” in the children and families department.

It said: “Several witnesses spoke of a culture at the council in which they felt that, if they complained about SB’S behaviour, they would either not be believed or, worse still, there would be some form of retribution for coming forward.

"They suggested that SB was the ‘golden boy’ and that, in the eyes of his fellow managers, he could do no wrong.”

A series of recommendations are made within the report, including a reform of the council’s system of investigation into sexual allegations, domestic abuse, physical violence, stalking or harassment.

It also calls for mandatory training for all managers on domestic abuse, coercive control and dealing with individuals making complaints of a potentially criminal nature.