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A year ago, the Waterhouse Report was released which catalogued the rampant abuse of children under state care living in residential homes in North Wales. An inquiry led by Sir Ronald Waterhouse was initiated in 1996, eleven years after childcare worker, Alison Taylor, broke ranks with her colleagues and spoke out about the rampant physical, emotional and sexual abuse that was taking place in the homes in North Wales.

Her persistence against a wall of indifference led to the commission of inquiry into the matter. The tribunal heard evidence from 650 people and to date victims of the abuse have been award compensation claims amounting to over £4 million.

The complaints were focussed on 40 homes in the old North Wales counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd, the majority of the cases occurred in seven particular homes with the most notorious being Bryn Estyn. Abuse ranged from humiliation to sexual abuse of both girls and boys by both male and female staff members. Children were regularly beaten and throttled. The largest single compensation award to date has been £180,000.Eleven former resident were awarded £300,000 by the High Court in London. Insurers of the Clwyd County Council have settled 140 claims. There are about 100 pending claims.

Fostering has replaced residential homes in Wales but the risk of a similar scandal happening again is still there. According to Anne Collis of the National Foster Association of Wales, laws have been changed and guidelines put in place but without money to implement and train people they are likely to fail. A repeat of Waterhouse is entirely possible but this time in foster homes.

Steve Meeshan was one of the victims in the Waterford abuse. To date he has not received compensation. He feels that the report achieved very little. He is a campaigner for the victims and part of a victims support group, NORWAS.

Of the victims in North Wales, 12 had committed suicide, one has been convicted of murder and many lead difficult lives, all of this likely a result of the abuse. 23% of adults in prisons were in state care as children. 38% of young offenders have been in care. 60% of children leaving care are drug users. There is still much work to be done for children who must be taken in by the state.