Family's fury with Social Services over child abuser

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A HORRIFIED family have slammed social services after three girls were sexually abused. The mother of two of the victims spoke exclusively to the Express about the ordeal. The woman, of Merthyr Tydfil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims she was told by the authorities that Mark William Morris was safe to be around children, yet this week he was jailed for seven years for a catalogue of sexual offences. Morris showed no emotion as he was sentenced by Judge Phillip Richards at Cardiff Crown Court, where a jury had convicted him a month ago of five counts of indecency with a child and six counts of indecent assault. He looked straight ahead as the judge told him: “People are rightly horrified by such offences and the girls’ lives have been very much affected.” Morris, aged 37, of Cherry Grove, Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, had denied the allegations, forcing his victims to give evidence and be cross-examined. They told the court he had touched them indecently, incited them to touch him and performed sex acts on himself in front of one of them. Morris was cleared of one charge of rape but found guilty of indecent assault and inciting a child into sexual activity. His name will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for an indefinite period. The family of two of the girls are now trying to put the terrifying events behind them and move on, but they are furious as they feel they have been “hounded” by social services and made to feel like they are the criminals. The allegations came to light on New Year’s Day and the police were contacted and the two girls, as well as their mother’s unborn baby, were immediately placed on the Child Protection Register. A family member said: “We feel like we were the ones on trial.” For one thing, they cannot understand why the unborn baby had to be placed on the protection register. The father of the now nine-month-old baby, said: “When she was born I was supposed to be happy. “But I wasn’t, I couldn’t even change my own daughter’s nappy or be left alone with her. “People are looking at us like we are the abusers. “It had nothing to do with me or my daughter. “In years to come she is going to read things like that – what will she think? “Social services have come into our life, and torn it apart. and left us with no help.” The family claim they were told the children did not need counselling for their ordeal unless they started showing signs of anxiety or bad behaviour, such as drug or alcohol-related problems. They said: “We had to sort it out ourselves – they would not help us whatsoever.” A spokeswoman for Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council said it did not feel it appropriate to breach the confidence of all the adults and children involved by commenting on the specific matters reported. She said: “Merthyr Tydfil CBC’s Integrated Children’s Services will of course thoroughly investigate the concerns raised if the family would wish us to, in line with our complaints procedures. “The council, with its partners, takes seriously its obligations to safeguard children at risk, and seeks to reduce future risk by working closely with families and other agencies to ensure their needs are met effectively.” The ordeal has caused friction and a lot of pain in the victims’ family. One member said of Morris: “He is an animal – we hope they lock him up and throw away the key.