Daniel Clarke: How did abuse of disabled kids move undetected?

Parents are not easy solutions over how a paedophile used to be ready to abuse doubtlessly dozens of disabled and particular tutorial wishes kids whilst running as a educating assistant.

Daniel Clarke could have focused “well over 81” inclined younger other people over a decade, consistent with detectives overseeing a big West Midlands Police investigation.

The 29-year-old used to be jailed ultimate month for offences towards six kids, however officials consider he might be one of the prolific intercourse offenders of new occasions.

The BBC can now divulge he held key safeguarding duties at two council-run colleges as lately as September 2023, the place bosses stated they acted once considerations got here to mild.

In February, Clarke pleaded accountable to offences together with making indecent pictures of a kid, assaulting kids through touching, and inciting kids to interact in sexual job and not using a penetration.

The fees integrated Clarke’s paintings, one after the other, as a private assistant to a number of kids, however he had additionally been answerable for on-line protection at Forest Oak and Merstone colleges ahead of he used to be arrested in October 2024.

He is assumed to have begun running with the native authority-run particular colleges as a educating assistant in 2016.

Both of them are rated exceptional through Ofsted and are separate however proportion amenities and an govt head instructor.

The BBC has spoken to a couple of individuals who declare considerations have been raised through team of workers and oldsters at Forest Oak about Clarke no less than 3 months ahead of he used to be arrested.

“He should not have continued working at that school but he did, which tells you they didn’t do anything,” one nameless mom stated.

“If they had any inkling whatsoever that man should have been suspended pending an investigation.”

A sentencing listening to used to be instructed Clarke had made a listing of his sufferers, a few of which dated again to 2016.

The native authority instructed the BBC that as quickly because it used to be made acutely aware of considerations about Clarke, it instantly contacted police and this resulted in his October arrest.

However, it has refused to show when considerations have been first raised with the varsity.

Nor has it stated if an inner investigation shall be performed to take a look at how the case used to be treated.

Saj Golby, who runs the North Solihull Additional Needs Support Group, instructed the BBC she have been in direct touch with the households of no less than a dozen of Clarke’s possible sufferers.

“The families that are approaching us are so angry and so hurt,” she stated. “He was in a position of trust and that has been broken.

“Something horrific used to be going down at a college on our doorsteps and households are announcing ‘we raised considerations’ however they have been left out.

“Someone needs to be held accountable.”

Ms Golby based the gang in 2016 as a result of she believed there used to be no longer sufficient reinforce for fogeys of kids with further wishes.

Her neighborhood campaigning resulted in her being decided on as a baton bearer for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

But about the similar time, the 43-year-old stated she used to be having issues together with her personal kids at Forest Oak, as a result of what she known as unrelated safeguarding considerations.

She has now introduced a petition, subsidized through cross-party councillors and an area MP, calling for households of younger individuals who carry safeguarding problems to be extra successfully supported.

It could also be not easy extra duty when issues move fallacious, like in relation to Daniel Clarke.

“It paints a picture of systemic failure,” Ms Golby stated.

“This needs investigating to find out why such a horrific man got away with what he did for such a long time when concerns were raised.”

Hazel Dawkins, a Labour consultant on Solihull Council, has a daughter who attends Merstone.

Her kid didn’t have touch with Clarke, however the mom stated the case had introduced her to tears because of the timespan of the offending and the truth some sufferers might be non-verbal.

“It’s horrific,” she stated. “I can’t even bear to think what these parents are going through.”

Dawkins stated the varsity and the council had to “accept responsibility and seek to reassure parents”.

She known as for an inquiry and bolstered insurance policies to stay kids secure.

The native flesh presser has additionally been representing oldsters with unrelated considerations about bullying on the best different particular faculty within the space, and claimed an “overhaul” used to be wanted in Solihull’s general provision.

“We’re seeing it over and over again with children being constantly failed,” she stated.

Clarke is lately serving a jail sentence of 7 years and 6 months after pleading accountable to sexual offences, even if the lawyer basic’s workplace is reviewing that when claims it’s too lenient.

He met his sufferers whilst running around the two colleges, and thru a job with a charity that organised actions for kids with further wishes.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard the mummy of 1 sufferer had paid Clarke £3,500 for paintings as a private assistant for her kid, however have been left feeling like she have been “paying him to abuse her son”.

After Clarke’s arrest in October, police have been stated to have “moved extremely quickly, almost with unprecedented speed” to place the perpetrator at the back of bars.

The courtroom heard he’s virtually positive to stand additional fees, in all probability towards greater than 81 sufferers.

A “complex and sensitive investigation” is known to be proceeding, with detectives within the strategy of “slowly and carefully” contacting the fogeys of younger other people Clarke would possibly have had touch with.

But the courtroom used to be instructed it used to be prone to be no less than a 12 months ahead of additional fees are introduced and it might be 2027 ahead of any possible trial starts.

Some oldsters consider this implies additional information must be shared with them now, however the faculty has declined to unencumber any main points because of the reside investigation.

“They are keeping everything very quiet,” stated a 2d nameless mom.

“The letters they have sent out to parents don’t go into much explanation at all.”

Alfie Ford, a former Forest Oak student, used to be no longer focused through Clarke however stated he used to be “shocked, disappointed and angry” as he prior to now interacted with the educating assistant maximum days.

The 19-year-old, who’s now a the city councillor and incapacity consciousness campaigner, left the varsity in 2023.

He additionally believes bosses must be sharing additional information with former oldsters and pupils about Clarke following his conviction.

“He would have known nearly every child,” Mr Ford stated. “You would never have known he was that sort of person.

“You would suppose he used to be there for you and he would deal with you. I ponder whether that can had been a trick of his.”

The former student recalled Clarke wearing tracksuits to work and a school emblazoned jacket, and said he appeared a normal member of staff.

Mr Ford suggested the teaching assistant had taken advantage of his knowledge of autism to “betray the consider” of pupils, and said the school had questions to answer.

“There are such a lot of techniques this must had been stopped from going down,” he added. “[It] must be checked out.”

Solihull Council’s efforts to keep children safe have been under widespread scrutiny in recent years following a number of high profile incidents, including the murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in 2020.

But Multiple Ofsted reports, including one released this month, have suggested children’s services are improving from a previous rating of inadequate.

A Solihull Council spokesperson said: “We take the safeguarding of kids with the maximum seriousness.

“Our thoughts go out to all those affected by the horrific actions of Clarke and we are pleased that he is now behind bars, unable to prey on further potential victims.

“As quickly because the council used to be made acutely aware of considerations about Clarke, we instantly took motion to research the allegations, which concerned contacting the police and this resulted in his arrest.

“We understand that in difficult circumstances such as this, people want to know more.

“However, West Midlands Police mentioned that knowledge can’t be disclosed because of the complicated nature in their investigation, which stays ongoing.”

If you have got been suffering from any of the problems raised on this tale, knowledge and reinforce can also be discovered on the BBC’s Action Line.